Over 22,000 families affected by floods in Maguindanao del Sur; relief efforts underway

More than 22,000 families have been affected by flooding in Maguindanao del Sur as of Thursday, according to a report from the provincial government. The latest situational report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) showed that 22,598 families in 103 barangays across 14 municipalities were affected by the floods. Maguindanao del Sur has 24 municipalities. The municipalities with the highest number of affected families were Shariff Saydona Mustapha with 5,857, Sultan sa Barongis with 5,655, and Datu Saudi Ampatuan with 4,192. Authorities said the number of affected families may still increase as assessment and validation efforts continue. Provincial administrator Datu Nur-Ali Midtimbang said all resources have been prepositioned in two districts: at the Provincial Capitol in Buluan town and at the Provincial Extension Office in Talayan. Heavy equipment, manpower, food items, and non-food items are ready for immediate deployment to affected communities. The augmentation relief operation has also started distributing initial assistance to affected municipalities. The assistance includes rice, food packs, and other basic necessities for flood-hit families. The provincial government and local government units continue to coordinate relief efforts to ensure that assistance reaches families affected by the flooding.