3 die after drowning in flood in Sultan Kudarat province

Inquirer files

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — A mother, her daughter and another child died in separate drowning incidents during flash floods, spawned by an inter-tropical convergence zone, that hit two coastal towns of Sultan Kudarat province in the past two days, disaster officials said.

Lovely Joy Hallegado, Sultan Kudarat provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer, identified the mother-daughter victims as Maila Pulido, 35, and her 12-year-old daughter Mylene, of Sitio Kitay, Barangay Salaman in Lebak town.

Citing a report from the Lebak disaster response office, Hallegado said villagers reported that the Pulidos were walking home from the town center at about 3 p.m. on Friday.

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They tried to cross the Salaman river amid heavy downpour and strong water current. But rampaging river waters first carried away Mylene, then Maila who came to her daughter’s rescue.

Both drifted downstream and were fished out of the river two hours after, already dead.

In Kalamansig town, Hallegado said 8-year-old Lawrence Itew and his friends were gathering coconut near the Limulan river in Barangay Cadiz at about 7 a.m. on Friday when a flash flood struck.

Itew, according to his friends, was swept away by the raging waters and his remains were found on Saturday morning in Poral Beach, Barangay Sta Maria, Kalamansig.

Hallegado said 15 families in Lebak and 21 families in Kalamansig have been affected by flash floods.

Lebak Mayor Frederick Celestial led the distribution on Saturday of emergency food packs, hygiene kits and other basic needs to flood victims. /cb