By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines

Officials in the Philippines Muslim autonomous region have distributed food packs, school supplies and hygiene kits to thousands of flood victims in the Muslim south.

The floods caused by heavy rains have killed four people, displaced almost 2,000 others and caused P6.93
 million ($153,710) in agriculture damage, according to civil defense director Minda Morante.

Ramil Masukat, from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said in a statement to Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that the office had conducted a Ramadan Sadaqa (charity event) on Tuesday in Maguindanao to assist victims.

"The activity, an act of charity and initiated by ARMM [Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao] Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman, catered to almost 2,000 families affected by the calamity," he said.

"This is a month of generosity and there are many people affected by floods."

Masukat said the Office of Civil Defense and the ARMM-Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team had personally distributed food packs, school supplies, and hygiene kits to the beneficiaries.

According to Masukat, the Office of Civil Defense-ARMM augmented the assistance by donating slippers, pails and dippers to all the 12 
barangays of Sultan Sa Barongis which are currently inundated, with five barangays reporting knee-high floodwater.

Sultan Sa Barongis is a flood-prone municipality because of its geographical location.

The town is situated within three river systems
– the Ala, Kabulnan and Kakal.

Last Tuesday, June 23, the country’s weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, officially declared the start of the rainy season. 

The agency said it could last three more months.