NO FEWER than 300 police personnel from various units of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO) 7 were honored and recognized as heroes after being deployed to northern Cebu following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that claimed over 70 lives and injured nearly 600 individuals.
They, along with soldiers, members of the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other government agencies, were dispatched to conduct rescue, retrieval, and recovery operations.
Each police officer was awarded the “Medalya ng Pagtulong sa Nasalanta” (Medal of Assistance to Disaster Victims), while government agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero, the Office of Civil Defense headed by Director Joel Erestain, Governor Pamela Baricuatro of Cebu Province, the Visayas Command, Philippine Navy, Bureau of Fire Protection, and others also received commendations.
Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan, Central Visayas police director, praised his personnel who served as first responders for their service and dedication to duty.
“To the men and women of the hour, to all the heroes na nandito sa harap natin ngayon, hindi namin magagawa ito without your unwavering support and of course your dedication to your sworn duties. You are the tip of the sword. You are the first responders. You have shown a selfless dedicated service to the people of Cebu,” said Maranan.
(To the men and women of the hour, to all the heroes in front of us today — we could not have done this without your unwavering support and dedication to your sworn duties. You are the tip of the sword, the first responders. You have shown selfless and dedicated service to the people of Cebu.)
Maranan also commended Governor Baricuatro for her leadership, saying that just moments after the earthquake, she immediately met with Provincial Police Director Colonel Abubakar Mangelen Jr. to assess the extent of the damage.
Without delay, Baricuatro went to the Bogo Provincial Hospital that same morning to check on casualties and issue directives for the rescue of the injured.
An emotional Baricuatro delivered her message before the police after watching a video of the rescue and retrieval operations, expressing deep sympathy for the victims of the disaster.
She praised and thanked the Central Visayas police and other government agencies for their quick response and assistance.
The governor recalled seeing the victims in despair and grief over the loss of their loved ones.
“That morning on the scene, I really wanted to break down, but I didn’t have time to mourn because I had to be on top of the situation. I had to work right away at Bogo Provincial Hospital. Most of you who were there saw it yourselves. I didn’t have time to mourn what happened. This morning, I prepared a speech, but when I saw the video, all the memories came back — how catastrophic it was for our brothers and sisters in the north. That’s why I became emotional,” Baricuatro said.
Despite what she described as a “demolition job” against her, Baricuatro thanked the police and national agencies who stood by her and extended their help.
Residents, even in remote areas of Cebu’s Fourth District, immediately received aid through the distribution of relief goods from the DSWD.
After the ceremony, the governor personally shook hands with the police officers as a gesture of gratitude for their service to the people of Cebu. (AYB)