Aquino visits nearly 1M flood victims in Cotabato City

(Updated 6:27 p.m.) COTABATO CITY – President Benigno Simeon Aquino III arrived in Cotabato City on Wednesday morning to check on the welfare of 962,591 flood victims, suffering from one of the worst calamities in the history of western Mindanao.
The clogged Rio Grande de Mindanao that has flooded Cotabao City is Mindanao's largest river system and begins in the highlands of central Mindanao. About 20 hectares of water hyacinths have built up in the city's portion of the river, blocking the passage of rainwater draining into Moro Gulf. View Rio Grande de Mindanao in a larger map The President distributed food packs to the flood victims at the Notre Dame Village elementary school, one of the public elementary schools in the city which serve as shelters to the more than 900 displaced families. Aquino also conducted an aerial inspection and oversaw the dredging operations at the Rio Grande de Mindanao river, which was clogged by 20 hectares of water hyacinths and overflowed to nearby barangays. Aquino also visited the Philippine Army's 6th Infantry Division headquarters in Cotabato City for a briefing with the local government officials. Several officials accompanied Aquino in overseeing the dredging operations: National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Mindananao Development Authority chairman Lualhati Antonino, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, and Presidential Task Force on Mindanao River Basin Development Bishop Orlando Quevedo. Clearing the river of water hyacinths Two weeks ago, heavy rains in Central Mindanao triggered massive flooding in the city because of the buildup of water hyacinths in the Rio Grande de Mindanao, the longest river in Mindanao and second only to the Cagayan in the Philippines. Local officials consider the flooding in the region as the “worst" in years, affecting 10 provinces in Mindanao and sinking entire houses in Cotabato City. Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and local residents are currently using three backhoes, chainsaws and bamboos to loosen up hectares of water hyacinths that built up at Delta Bridge. Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Bureau of Public Information executive director Ali Macabalang said that about 10 hectares of water hyacinths have already been removed by soldiers and volunteers as of Wednesday afternoon. Macabalang, however, added that new water hyacinths from upstream provinces occupied some of the areas that already been cleared, making the task more difficult for authorities. "Continuous kasi ang pag-ulan dito dahil sa bagyong Falcon kaya padagdag din nang padagdag ang water hyacinths bawat minuto," he said in a phone interview. A separate report from GMA News’ Steve Dailisan over GMA News TV’s "Balitanghali" said local authorities, led by Quevedo, are already devising long-term solutions to the problem brought by the water hyacinths. The government has so far spent P12 million for the operations; of which P7 million came from the DSWD national while P1 million from DSWD-ARMM. Local government units also chipped in P3.45 million for the dredging operations and about P350,000 came from non-government organizations. Classes in more than 200 schools in Cotabato City and in the first and second districts of Maguindanao and in North Cotabato’s adjoining Aleosan, Pikit and Midsayap towns, remain suspended due to flooding. - with Andreo Calonzo/VVP/HS/RSJ, GMA News