DAVAO CITY – Damage to agriculture due to severe flooding in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has soared to over P323 million and has affected almost 11,000 farmers.
A FLOODED rice field in Maguindanao del Sur. (Contributed photo)
A report from the BARMM Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (Bangsamoro READi) showed that as of 6 p.m. on July 21, damage to agriculture soared to P323,425,768 from P151,153,550 last July 18.
Bangsamoro READi also reported that widespread flooding swamped 9,387 hectares of agricultural land and affected 10,952 farmers. At least 126 fishpond owners also were affected, it added.
BARMM, along with neighboring Region 12 or the South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sarangani, and General Santos area are among the top rice producers not just in Mindanao but also in the country.
Severe flooding due to heavy rains has affected 166, 608 families from the Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Cotabato City. At least 78,000 of them are from Maguindanao del Sur.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said heavy rains since July 9 due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) spawned widespread flooding and triggered landslides in parts of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.
Bangsamoro READi recorded eight fatalities, two missing, and 21 injured due to flashflood.
Swelling of river systems around the Ligawasan Marsh since July 12 swamped several towns in Maguindanao del Sur, the Special Geographic Area (SGA), and neighboring towns in Cotabato.
Maguindanao del Sur was placed under the state of calamity for the second time this year.
The provincial government declared a state of calamity last April due to impact of the prolonged dry spell.
The Bangsamoro government has lifted its red alert status and downgraded to blue alert as the situation stabilized last July 19.
Flood-affected residents said water has receded in the past few days.
Bangsamoro READi reported that 4,376 families are still in 31 evacuation centers in Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and SGA.