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Government did everything it could to prepare for Paeng: Abalos

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Doris Bigornia, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and other officials attend a meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council regarding the impacts of tropical storm Paeng, on Oct. 29, 2022. Courtesy of the Office of the President Facebook page" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/10/31/10312022-govt-did-everything-could-prepare-paeng-dilg-chief.jpg"/><figcaption>Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and other officials attend a meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council regarding the impacts of tropical storm Paeng, on Oct. 29, 2022. <em>Courtesy of the Office of the President Facebook page</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said Monday that the government did all that it could to prepare for Tropical Storm Paeng&#x27;s onslaught.</p><p>He said the local government chiefs also did their best to address their constituents&#x27; needs before, during and after the typhoon.</p><p>Abalos said the local chiefs adhered to the protocols on disaster preparations days before the typhoon struck, and that they immediately coordinated with the national agencies.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/29/22/sara-duterte-govt-working-nonstop-as-paeng-lashes-ph">Sara Duterte: Gov&#x27;t &#x27;working nonstop&#x27; as Paeng lashes Philippines</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/28/22/tulfo-cancels-leaves-long-weekend-plans-of-dswd-employees">Tulfo cancels leaves, long weekend plans of DSWD employees for Paeng preps</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/29/22/govt-initially-disburses-p41-m-aid-for-paeng-victims">Gov&#x27;t initially disburses P4.1-M aid for Paeng victims, Palace says</a></li></ul><p>The DILG chief issued the remark days after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed disappointment and sought an explanation from government offices following the high number of Paeng-related fatalities in Maguindanao.</p><p>“It will be important to us to look back and see why this happened na hindi natin naagapan ito,” Marcos said on Saturday when he virtually presided over the full council meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.</p><p>&quot;I’m a little bit concerned why the situation in Maguindanao was so bad. Let’s study it further, Sec. Solidum, and we’ll find what we can do para mas maging accurate ang mga forecast natin especially sa flooding ‘cause that seems to be the problem now,” he added, referring to Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. </p><p>&quot;We could have done better in Maguindanao in terms of preparing because... the 40 deaths with 10 people missing is a little too high. We should have done better than that.&quot; </p><p>Abalos said it is important to understand that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, being an independent entity, has its own structure of governance, with its own Interior and Social Welfare ministries, among some agencies. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/29/22/bangsamoro-region-placed-under-state-of-calamity">Bangsamoro region placed under state of calamity</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/31/22/why-tragedy-struck-maguindanao-during-paengs-onslaught">&#x27;Nagulat ang communities&#x27;: Why tragedy struck Maguindanao during Paeng&#x27;s onslaught</a></li></ul><p>But considering the magnitude of destruction that Paeng caused, Abalos said the national government was quick to assist BARMM&#x27;s needs.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/30/22/help-is-on-its-way-dswd-chief-tells-paeng-survivors">&#x27;Help is on its way&#x27;, DSWD chief tells Paeng survivors</a></li></ul><p>In other parts of the country where massive flooding and landslides were recorded, Abalos said no one can predict the volume of rainfall that the typhoon was going to bring.</p><p>But he is satisfied with the preparations of local chief executives, with evacuation centers in place way before Paeng struck.</p><p>Abalos, along with other government officials, are still in Mindanao assessing the damage from the country&#x27;s 16th storm.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KQlaXfhKgCA?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said Monday that the government did all that it could to prepare for Tropical Storm Paeng's onslaught.

Government did everything it could to prepare for Paeng: Abalos

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Government did everything it could to prepare for Paeng: Abalos

Doris Bigornia,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 31, 2022 09:50 PM PHT

Read More:

DILG

DSWD

Benhur Abalos

Paeng

PaengPH

Paeng aftermath

Department of the Interior and Local Government

disaster

calamity

bagyo

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