by Franck Dick Rosete, Bulatlat.com
An alliance of indigenous peoples (IP) organizations in the country demanded an immediate and decisive government action following the recent severe flooding in Mindanao, notably in the provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).
Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Katribu) pointed out that providing emergency relief is insufficient, stressing that severe flooding should be addressed by thrashing out issues, such as environmental neglect, unregulated development, and government inaction.
“It is time to address the causes of these perennial floods. Respect and integrate the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and farmers, grounded in sustainable land stewardship. Combine this with science and appropriate technologies to protect our watersheds, forests, and communities,” the group said in a statement on Saturday, May 31.
The latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) dated May 27 showed Maguindanao del Sur was the hard-hit area of the weather disturbance in the region, documenting a total of 129 affected barangays from 13 municipalities and affecting 55,313 families.
Because of this, the province was placed under the State of Calamity on May 19.
This was followed by Maguindanao del Norte with 47 affected barangays, while two affected villages each were reported from the provinces of Basilan and Sulu. Overall, a total of 74,189 families were affected in the Bangsamoro region, of which 1,640 remained in 10 evacuation centers as of May 27.
There was no agricultural damage assessment included in the latest NDRRMC report, but the Office of Civil Defense – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (OCD-BAR) has been validating the more or less 2,000 hectares of damaged crops in Maguindanao provinces reported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform.
The OCD-BAR did not rule out the possibility that wider agricultural damage had occurred based on its aerial assessment conducted on May 22.
The ITCZ weather disturbance had affected various areas in Mindanao, which started on May 14, also hitting several locations in the regions of Northern Mindanao, Davao, Zamboanga Peninsula, and SOCCSKSARGEN. Some parts of Western Visayas were also affected.
Together with the data from the BARMM, a total of 113,493 families, or 355,532 individuals, were affected as of May 30.
On May 30, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) announced the onset of the Southwest Monsoon, where the western sections of the country are expected to experience occasional to frequent rains and thunderstorms if the weather disturbance becomes dominant. This may lead to the start of the rainy season within two weeks.
Katribu challenged newly elected and current government officials to always put the people—not profit—at the center of every development project. “This moment demands transparent governance and bold leadership, not empty promises. Corruption, delay, and disinterest are crimes in the face of disaster. Act now!” it said.
The IP group wants to sustain the relief efforts for affected families in Maguindanao provinces. Hence, it launched a donation drive, calling on the public to extend support for the Bangsamoro people.
