COTABATO CITY—BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim is at the forefront of efforts to help Bangsamoro recover from the impact of severe tropical storm (STS) Paeng and become more resilient.
On Oct. 28, a year after the devastation of STS Paeng, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to BARMM ministries, offices, agencies (MOAs), key partners, and stakeholders for their immediate support during the STS Paeng disaster, and stressed the importance of learning from this experience to strengthen disaster risk reduction and management in the region.
Last year, the Bangsamoro region was struck by STS Paeng, primarily affecting Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Cotabato City, and other low-lying areas.
This disaster led to BARMM-wide flood and landslide incidents, causing damage to infrastructure, multiple fatalities, and reports of missing and injured individuals.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the Bangsamoro Government has been providing relief aid to families affected by STS Paeng since October 2022 and continues to do so.
“The regional government, through the Bangsamoro DRRM Council’s Early Recovery Cluster led by the Bangsamoro READi, is continuously implementing key programs, projects, and activities to ensure unhampered assistance to the victims of STS Paeng in this transition period,” Ebrahim stated during the first anniversary of the devastation of Paeng.
He also shared details about the Bangsamoro DRRM Plan 2023–2028, emphasizing a holistic approach to disaster risk reduction and management in the BARMM region, addressing both natural and human-induced hazards.
These six-year plans are part of the Bangsamoro Government’s initiatives, developed with insights from past disasters and emergencies in the region.
Ebrahim expressed optimism and urged the cooperation of BARMM citizens to remain adaptable and prepared for unforeseen calamities.
“May this day serve as an opportunity for all of us to collectively push forward our common goal of building a better, safer, and more disaster-resilient region with the sincerest hope of uplifting the lives of the Bangsamoro people,” the BDRRM Chairperson said.
The eighth priority under CM Ebrahim’s Enhanced 12-Point Priority Agenda is to build community resilience to both human-induced and natural disasters through a holistic approach encompassing prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation. (Johamin Inok/BIO)
