Central Mindanao Flooding Needs Long-Term Solution

Over the last few weeks, as heavy rains fell on parts of Central Mindanao, residents of communities in the Cotabato River Basin, had evacuated to higher grounds as the floodwater inundated the vast plains.
Hardly hit were the towns beside the meandering Pulangui River which flows from Bukidnon towards the Moro Gulf, including the towns of Kabacan and Pikit in North Cotabato, Datu Montawal and Pangalungan and those in the periphery of the 250,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao del Sur.
Affected residents who had been displaced had been provided emergency relief assistance, just like in the many previous instances when the river overflowed.
The flooding, however, had become more frequent, an indication that in the upstream of the Cotabato River Basin, there is very little vegetation to hold the water and mitigate flooding.
The sad story is that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources seems unperturbed by the frequent flooding in the area which threatens residents, farms and also the Liguasan Marsh.
The DENR must now step in and show to the people of Central Mindanao that the agency is aware of this very serious problem and that they have a long-term solution to address the flooding.
I would like to see a multi-agency. long-term and wholistic approach alleviate the suffering of the people of Central Mindanao.
#TimeToMoveNow!
(Photo downloaded from the Philippine Star by John Unson.)