Heavy rains cause flooding in Kabacan, Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY - Floods due to heavy rains affected Kabacan in Cotabato on Wednesday, prompting the local government to cancel classes at the Kabacan Central Elementary School, a local disaster officer said.

David Don Saure, municipal disaster risk reduction and management officer, said moderate to heavy rains started early dawn causing knee-deep flood in the whole campus including at least 14 classrooms.

"We decided to call off classes to ensure the safety of our pupils. We cannot afford to sacrifice our pupils and teachers especially that we are still experiencing heavy rains," Saure said.

Low-lying areas such as the Kabacan Central Elementary School were flooded Wednesday, June 20, 2018, due to heavy rains. Williamor Magbanua

The disaster officer said the school serves as catch basin of excess water coming from Barangay Poblacion and nearby villages due to its location.

The school, according to Saure, is situated in the low-lying portion of Barangay Poblacion.

"That is the very reason why if we experience moderate to heavy rains to at least three hours this place is usually flooded," Saure added.

Some portions of Barangay Poblacion were also flooded, Saure said.

No evacuation in other low-lying villages of the town was reported as of posting time.

Saure fears that if the downpour continues until noon, they will have to implement forced evacuation especially in at least 10 villages in low-lying areas in Kabacan.

The MDRRMO is also monitoring the water level of the Kabacan River and Rio Grande De Mindanao, as bad weather conditions are still felt in the whole area of Mindanao.

Saure said if these rivers overflow, the water will go down to low-lying villages in Kabacan which will result to the displacement of the residents.

He also fears that vast farmlands newly planted with rice seedlings might be inundated if floodwaters from these huge rivers  overflow.

Weather service PAGASA reported in a Wednesday morning forecast that a low-pressure area (LPA) was spotted 100 kilometers east of Daet, Camarines Norte at 3 a.m.

The LPA's trough would bring cloudy conditions with light to moderate rain and isolated thunderstorm over the Eastern Visayas and Bicol Region. The rest of the country would meanwhile be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers. —KG, GMA News