NDRRMC: Floods may delay classes in 2 Maguindanao towns

Flash floods that hit at least two towns of Maguindanao province this week may cause a delay in the opening of classes there, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. In an update posted on its website Friday night, the NDRRMC said Pagalungan and Datu Montawal towns were still flooded, with the overflowing of the Pagalungan River and Rio Grande de Mindanao (Tunggol River) tagged as the cause. "Opening of classes in most schools (in Pagalungan) next week might not push through as floodwaters may take some time to subside especially at the Tunggol National High School, which is a few meters away from the Tunggol River," it said. The Pangalungan town council also convened last Thursday to declare a state of calamity, the NDRRMC added. Even official transactions at the Pagalungan municipal hall had been disrupted due to the floods, according to the NDRRMC. Moreover, it said some 400 families had been displaced due to the floods, with more than 50 of them staying in makeshift tents around the perimeter fence of the Datu Montawal Municipal Hall. "Classes in Datu Montawal might not start next week," it added. As of Friday, the NDRRMC said the floods had affected 8,878 families or 56,852 people in 23 villages in Pagalungan ad Datu Montawal. The floods also damaged 792 hectares of crops (rice, corn, and vegetables) worth some P7.887 million. — LBG, GMA News