Huge Waves, Rains Batter Misamis and Maguindanao Towns In Southern RP

Heavy rains flood many areas in Maguindanao province. In Misamis Oriental, a mother and her two-year old son were killed and 900 families are displaced in coastal areas after huge waves spawned by tropical storm Bopha batter villages. (Mark Navales)

MISAMIS ORIENTAL (Mike Banos / 10 Aug) A 46-year old mother and her two-year old son died and over 900 families affected as strong winds and huge waves spawned by heavy rains pounded coastal towns in Misamis Oriental province in southern Philippines, officials said.

Teodoro A. Sabuga-a, Jr., executive officer of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Disaster and Coordinating Counci, identified the dead as Lilibeth Roa and her son Christian Swind Roa. They were hit by a coconut tree in Libertad town.

Sabuga-a said 4 towns -- Laguindingan, Libertad, Naawan, Manticao – in the western coast and five others -- Tagoloan, Jasaan, Balingasag, Lagonglong, Salay – in the eastern coast were badly hit by the waves.

Some 928 families in thirty villages were displaced by the waves. More than 80 houses were destroyed. A farm road was also damaged in the village of Cogon in Balingasag town.

The huge waves struck at about the same time as similar giant waves swept away over a thousand houses in the island province of Tawi-Tawi Tuesday evening, leaving four persons missing and feared dead.

Last week, flash floods also rampaged through four eastern towns of Misamis Oriental, killing an entire family of four and leaving over P30 million in damages to agriculture and infrastructure.

In Maguindanao, heavy rains also flooded many villages in Sultan Kudarat province and displaced huge number of people, social workers said. (With a report from Mark Navales)