Body of missing child in Maguindanao del Norte found

Authorities have found the body of a child who was reported missing in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte, Dano Tingcungco reported on 24 Oras on Monday.

The fatality was one of four children who were reportedly swept away by the flood in the town.

The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) earlier reported five dead, of which three were from Matanog 

Neil Tapa, Public Information Officer of BARMM Civil Defense, said these numbers are still subject to validation.

With the four bodies found in Matanog, authorities have ceased their search, rescue, and retrieval operations in Maguindanao province.

PAGASA said rains continue to prevail in western sections of Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao due to the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).

In Maguindanao del Sur, Rescuers used boats to evacuate the residents as the Pulangi River overflowed due to the continuous rain.

According to the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, 17 towns were affected by floods.

Authorities also used a rubber boat to rescue a family in Pikit, Cotabato as more than 13,000 residents were affected by heavy floods.

“Tatlong probinsya na po yung affected na po natin: Saranggani, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato, with a total of 105 barangays, and a total of 31, 458 families po yun na apektado, or a total of 104,402 individuals,”said Jorimae Balmediano, information officer of OCD Region 12.

(Three provinces are affected: Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato, with a total of 105 affected barangays, and a total of 31,458 affected families or a total of 104,402. individuals.)

In Balabangan, Lanao del Sur, a distraught mother said she hopes to see her two children again, whether they are alive or dead.

The children went missing after they were swept by the flood.

In Zamboanga City, the Philippine Coast Guard rescued more than 700 residents as the flood rose to chest level.

Meanwhile, some motorists in Maitum, Sarangani were able to pass through despite the bridge being destroyed due to a landslide.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council confirmed one dead in Northern Mindanao while 22 reported fatalities are still being verified. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News