Continuous heavy rainfall that inundated communities across central Mindanao prompted a large-scale military response last July 8 and 9, with soldiers from the Army's 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division and Joint Task Force Central mobilizing to reach stranded and displaced residents in three provinces, the command announced.
The 6ID/JTFC said in a statement that its Disaster Response Units were placed on heightened alert and immediately deployed to Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Sultan Kudarat to support local authorities overwhelmed by the sustained flooding brought about by prevailing weather conditions.
Three Brigades, Nine Municipalities
According to the 6ID/JTFC, the humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations spanned nine municipalities across the three affected provinces. The units involved were the 601st Infantry Brigade, the 603rd Infantry Brigade, and the 1st Marine Brigade — each tasked with covering specific areas in coordination with local officials on the ground.
In Maguindanao del Sur, the command said troops conducted operations in the municipalities of Ampatuan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Talayan, and South Upi. Forces deployed to Maguindanao del Norte focused on Datu Odin Sinsuat, Barira, and Parang. Meanwhile, operations in Sultan Kudarat covered the municipalities of Palimbang and Lebak, according to the 6ID/JTFC statement.
Soldiers engaged in a range of activities during the deployment, the command noted — assisting individuals who were unable to leave flooded areas, conducting inspections in communities identified as flood-prone, and closely monitoring water levels in areas where further rise was considered likely.
Coordinated Effort Involving Multiple Agencies
The response was not carried out by the military alone. The 6ID/JTFC said that troops on the ground worked in close coordination with local government units, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices, barangay officials, and Quick Response Teams deployed across the affected areas.
Joining the coordinated effort, according to the command, were the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippine National Police. The 6ID/JTFC described the multi-agency approach as essential to ensuring that the emergency response remained timely and organized given the scale and spread of the flooding across the region.
Even as active rescue operations proceeded in the nine municipalities, other Disaster Response Units under the 6ID/JTFC remained on standby alert, the command said, ready to reinforce field teams and provide additional assistance to any community that might require urgent intervention.
Command Monitors Situation as of July 10
The 6ID/JTFC issued a statement from Camp Siongco in Maguindanao del Norte reaffirming its commitment to continuing support for affected communities beyond the two-day operations period. The command confirmed that as of July 10, monitoring of the situation within its area of responsibility was still ongoing.
"The Command continues to monitor the situation within its area of responsibility and remains prepared to support humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts together with local government units and partner stakeholders," the 6ID/JTFC said in its official statement.
The military emphasized that its readiness posture would be maintained for as long as conditions on the ground required, with remaining units prepared to respond to any escalation in flooding or displacement in the affected provinces.
Local disaster management offices, which were among the first to respond to the flooding, received direct military support throughout the operations, the 6ID/JTFC noted, underlining the importance of civil-military cooperation in large-scale disaster events.
The flooding in central Mindanao is among several weather-related emergencies that have tested local and national disaster response mechanisms in recent months, as persistent rainfall continues to affect communities in Mindanao during this period.
By the Numbers
- 3 provinces covered by the operations: Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Sultan Kudarat
- 9 municipalities where humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations were conducted
- 3 Army brigades deployed: 601st Infantry Brigade, 603rd Infantry Brigade, and 1st Marine Brigade
- 2 consecutive days of active field operations: July 8 and 9, 2026
Why This Matters
The simultaneous flooding of communities across three provinces in central Mindanao required the deployment of at least three military brigades and the involvement of seven distinct government agencies — a scale that highlights just how severe and widespread the weather event was. Local disaster management offices, which serve as the first line of response in such emergencies, required direct military reinforcement to manage the situation across nine municipalities at the same time. With Disaster Response Units still on alert as of July 10, according to the 6ID/JTFC, the flooding emergency had not yet been fully resolved, and the risk of continued displacement remained a concern for affected communities.
Source: Originally reported by the Philippine News Agency / 6ID/JTFC public affairs statement