Geologists assess flood-hit areas in Sarangani

KORONADAL CITY , Philippines   – A team of geologists was deployed in Sarangani to conduct a geological evaluation of areas hit by flash floods that left six people dead and destroyed multimillion-peso worth of infrastructure and agricultural crops.

This, as the death toll in flash floods in Central Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao reached 20 the other day.

Constancio Paye, Central Mindanao director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), said the geologists will determine the source of the floodwaters, assess the vulnerability of the affected barangays, and identify other flood-prone areas in Sarangani.

In the last two weeks, several villages in the towns of Malapatan, Kiamba, Maasim and Glan were flooded, forcing hundreds of families to evacuate, leaving six people dead and destroying government infrastructure and crops.

Paye said the geologists will recommend solutions and strategies to the officials of the flood-hit towns. 

After their assessment, the team will continue the geo-hazard mapping of identified disaster-prone areas.

The flash floods also left a fatality in South Cotabato, two in North Cotabato, and 11 in the ARMM.

Based on reports, 106,635 families or 505,102 people were affected in 50 municipalities and two cities.

Damage has been placed at P1.146 billion: P299.5 million on infrastructure and P846.32 million on agriculture.