INSTEAD of being out in force and on the lookout for protesters this Labor Day, police officers of Central Luzon went out of their way and continued to scale up the distribution of food packs, to thousands of workers across the region.
Dubbed as Rektang Bayanihan para sa Pagpupugay sa mga Manggagawa, the region-wide relief operations started yesterday with Police Regional Office-Central Luzon Director Rhodel Sermonia leading the distribution of food packs, dressed chicken and sacks of rice to various workers.
More than 5,000 laborers, market vendors, public utility drivers, and workers from different sectors in the region benefited in the two-day relief operations.
"We want our laborers to feel that the government and the police recognize their vital role in the society and this is one of our ways to return the great contributions they are doing for the country. The police also have many programs for our laborers such as the JIPCO (Joint Peace Industrial Concerns Office) to guarantee their protection," Sermonia said.
This initiative of the Central Luzon police followed the advocacy of President Rodrigo Duterte of prioritizing the poorest Filipinos, citing in his Labor Day message that the workers are the country's foundation of prosperity and growth.
Gripped by the pandemic, the indigent laborers expressed gratitude to the efforts of the Central Luzon police which brought the food packs together with Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo (KKDAT) Ambassadress and Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2018 Michelle Gumabao and Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.
The relief efforts have been made possible thru donations of public and private stakeholders to the PRO-Central Luzon Food Bank in partnership with the JIPCO that protects workers and industries from radical infiltration of communist terrorist groups.