South Cotabato becoming tornado pathway?

KORONADAL CITY , Philippines  – South Cotabato is becoming the Central Mindanao region’s “tornado pathway” after it struck the province 16 times in nine months this year, a disaster official said yesterday.

Based on records of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council here, it showed that tornado, known in Hiligaynon dialect here as buhawi, hit South Cotabato’s four towns and this city 16 times from January to September, this year.

Towns hit by twisters are Sto. Niño, Tampakan, Tupi and Banga. Koronadal City was also the favorite place for tornados.

This month alone, tornados struck Koronadal twice, hurting two persons, including a seven-year-old boy, and destroyed 40 houses and hectares of agricultural crops.

In the four municipalities, tornados attacked in 10 villages there, left two people injured, destroyed 30 hectares of agricultural crops, estimated at P7 million, and swept away close to a hundred houses.

Of the said four towns, Tupi remained on top of the list with the highest number of tornado damages. It was followed by this city and the municipalities of Banga, Sto. Niño and Tampakan.

Haydee Lacdoo, coordinator of the PDCC, said the numbers of tornado attacks prompted them to think that South Cotabato is becoming Central Mindanao’s “tornado pathway.”