S.Cotabato lake’s water level being monitored

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines – The water level in South Cotabato’s Lake Maughan in T’boli town is being monitored amid continuous heavy rains in the province.

Sam Cyrus Bayog, head of the research and documentation unit of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of South Cotabato, said they are adopting a 24-hour monitoring to prevent a repeat of the tragedy 17 years ago when the lake’s wall collapsed due to continuous heavy rains.

The tragedy killed more than 100 people, damaged millions worth of agricultural crops and infrastructure and displaced thousands of civilians in South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.

 Bayog said the monitoring team was also instructed to remove debris blocking the lake’s outlet.

“If the water level reaches an intolerable level, the members of the monitoring team stationed there would sound the alarm,”  he added.

Meanwhile, the municipal government plans to place the entire town of Norala under a state of calamity after seven of its barangays were flooded since Saturday. Close to 600 families were affected.

In General Santos City, disaster officials called an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss possible solutions to the flooding in Barangays Lagao, Balu-an and Bula.