A week before Typhoon Paeng made landfall in Cotabato city, there was a lot of rain that the people experienced. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) region was greatly impacted by the on-going heavy rainfall as flood levels were beginning to rise and landslides were occurring in various areas.
Rapidly moving floodwaters took entire homes, people, and animals away as they cascaded down the mountain. Since the neighborhood had previously flooded, the locals weren’t prepared for the flood to get worse, which took them off surprise.
People in the streets and at an evacuation shelter have desperate looks on their faces. The surroundings were ominous, and the cry for aid was clear.
Through the Project TABANG with the directives of Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, he encouraged that the different ministries, offices and line agencies of the Bangsamoro Government must provide assistance for the areas that were deeply affected by the typhoon.
Chief Minister Ebrahim together with Senior Minister Abdulraof Macacua and other key officials, held a meeting to discuss the updates on the situation in Cotabato City, Maguindanao and other affected areas in the BARMM region.
The Project TABANG headed by the Project Manager, Dr. Tomanda D. Antok, distributed relief operations alongside with the three (3) components: Livelihood, Health Ancillary Services and Humanitarian Response and Services.
The timeline for the provision of aid demonstrates how Project TABANG has been active ever since the typhoon made landfall.
From October 29 to November 30, 2022, the relief operation distributed a total of 15,700 10 kilograms of rice, 600 25 kilograms of rice, 1,440 food packages, 240 kitchen kits, used clothes and medicines in the areas of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and Cotabato city.
As part of the Bangsamoro Government’s coordinated effort to offer comprehensive socio-economic services to the area, Project Manager Tomanda D. Antok, Ph.D., led the implementation of various Project TABANG services during the Paeng relief operations.
Launched in September 2019, Project TABANG is a humanitarian initiative designed to improve conditions in Bangsamoro communities by offering immediate direct services to the community’s residents, especially those who are experiencing poverty and are impacted by disasters and conflicts.