Flash floods submerged 98 villages across Maguindanao del Sur on Tuesday night, displacing 38,689 families or around 192,000 people, according to the region’s top official.
Flooding was reported in several barangays across the municipalities of Datu Abdullah Sangki, Shariff Aguak, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Ampatuan, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Mamasapano, Datu Piang, Sultan sa Barongis, Datu Salibo, and Guindulungan.
The floods caused significant damage, with three homes reportedly destroyed and two road sections, along with a bridge, affected.
Since May 14, Mindanao has been experiencing overcast skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), which triggered flash floods across various towns in Maguindanao del Sur, disaster officials said.
Rescue teams waded through waist-deep waters to evacuate 100 stranded residents in Datu Anggal Midtimbang town after the Brar River overflowed, according to Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua.
“Some areas show only house roofs,” Macacua said in a statement, though he confirmed that no casualties were reported in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Separately, in Koronadal City, floods claimed the lives of two individuals—24-year-old teacher Jessa Mae Huesca and 28-year-old delivery rider Christian Pederiso—who were swept away while attempting to cross the Cacub River.
In response to the persistent flooding, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced on Wednesday that it has prepared two major flood control projects in the southern Philippines, particularly in the Maguindanao provinces.
According to the DPWH, the feasibility study for the P39.219-billion project has been completed and is now awaiting loan approval. The budget will cover the design and construction of the Ambal-Simuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao River Flood Control Projects, both scheduled to begin in March 2026 and be completed by February 2030.
“These projects will help mitigate flooding in Cotabato City, and the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura,” the DPWH said.
The projects are located within the Mindanao River Basin (MRB), the country’s second-largest river basin, which spans a catchment area of 20,765 square kilometers. The Ambal-Simuay River, located in the westernmost part of the MRB, has a total catchment area of 656 square kilometers and includes the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao del Norte.
The Rio Grande de Mindanao, also known as the “Mindanao River,” flows through Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat.
The DPWH added that the projects aim not only to prevent flooding but also to curb harmful riverbed degradation, enhance the ecological condition of the MRB, and boost economic activity for the estimated 4 to 9 million people living within the basin’s coverage.