Vast rice and corn fields destroyed by floods in S. Cotabato

KORONADAL CITY -- More than 1,7000 hectares of rice and corn fields in South Cotabato have been damaged by the flash floods that hit at least five towns and a city in province, agriculture officials today said. The number of hectares affected by flood waters could go higher once all local government units shall have submitted its agricultural damage and assessment report, according to Justina Navarette, acting agriculture official. Affected tows are Tupi, Tampakan, Banga, Noralah and Koronadal City. An overnight moderate to heavy downpour Tuesday and the day long rainy Wednesday submerged vast tracks of rice and corn that farmers had just planted after a five month dry spell. Banga has the most number of affected agriculture areas in 14 villages. The floods also destroyed at least two bridges in Koronadal City, damaged six others in the SOCCSKSARGEN region, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD). Four persons were killed, five others wounded during the calamity which came even without weather disturbance in Mindanao. More than 40 houses were damaged. The South Cotabato provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PRRDMC) has recommended to the provincial government the declaration of state of calamity. During the dry spell, the South Cotabato provincial board did not put the entire province under calamity because it has enough funds to mitigate the impact of drought.