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Tuesday, December 23, 2003
3 perish in South Cotabato
By Allen v. Estabillo
THREE people were confirmed dead, while thousands worth of agricultural crops and infrastructure were destroyed as flashfloods and landslides pummeled at least two villages in T'boli, South Cotabato last Friday.
This developed as South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes ordered heightened monitoring on the water level of the critical Lake Holon (formerly Lake Maugan), also in T'boli town, due to the possible swelling of the lake's waters.
The governor said a monitoring team reported that several landslides have occurred along the crater-lake's walls due to continuous rains since last week.
South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) reported that a couple drowned in a flashflood while a farmer was buried in a landslide at the height of the heavy rains in the area late Friday afternoon.
Bella Lechonsito, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office head and PDCC action officer, identified the fatalities as Furong Dani and Nga No Tamanggong from T'boli.
Dani and Tamanggong were reportedly crossing a river in Lamhaku at about 6:30 p.m. when overcome by strong currents of rushing muddy floodwaters.
The bodies of the two victims were recovered last Saturday by local rescuers.
In Brangay Lambuyong, Lechonsito said a portion of a mountain in Sitio Datal mboyung collapsed at about 5:50 p.m., burying alive a certain Manok.
"He (Manok) was walking on his way home when the landslide happened," she said. Lechonsito said the flashflood in Barangay Lamhaku brought an estimated damage of P90,000 to corn crops and a portion of the barangay road, while the landslide in Sitio Datal Emboyung, barangay Lambuyong destroyed a portion of a sitio road pegged at P20,000.
She said the provincial government of South Cotabato has already extended assistance to affected families and dispatched needed equipment to repair damaged roads.
(December 23, 2003 issue)
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