The UN Secretary-General arrived in the country Friday evening and was welcomed by the President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.
Ban will stay in the country from December 20 to 22 to assess the damage of the typhoon and express sympathy to the survivors of the disaster in the Visayas region.
The UN chief wants to have firsthand assessment of the devastation of the typhoon as well as to express solidarity to the affected communities.
After his meeting with the President and other top government officials, Ban is scheduled to travel to Tacloban City to visit communities affected by Typhoon Yolanda, considered as one of the most if not the most powerful typhoon in history to make landfall.
Among the Cabinet members who joined the President in his meeting with the UN Secretary-General were Secretary del Rosario, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman and NEDA chief Arsenio Balisacan.
On Sunday morning, Ban will hold a joint press conference with Secretary del Rosario at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City prior to his departure.
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