Raquel Arce, the woman behind Cebu City’s PROBE

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The name Arce has become a taboo among street vendors in Cebu City.

A 25-year-old woman vendor, who refused to be named, selling mangoes at the Carbon Market Unit III told CDN Digital that the name invoked fear among them as the name represented “demolition and clearing.”

Arce is the name of the chief of the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (PROBE) team, formerly known as the Squatters Prevention Encroachment Elimination Division (SPEED), and the team responsible in keeping the sidewalks in order.

Read more: Arce to sidewalk vendors: Not on city streets

PROBE chief is a woman

Yet when asked if she knew that Arce was a woman, she was shocked. Never having met the 55-year-old Racquel Bohol-Arce, the vendor could not believe that such power to change their lives would lie on the palm of a female leader.

“Hala, babaye diay na siya? Abi man nako laki na kay isog man kaayo. (Really, she is a woman? I thought that Arce is a man because she is very tough),” said the vendor.

For Arce, her job as the PROBE chief is indeed tough because the team served as the hands of the city government, the division that follows the orders to clear an area and ensures that these orders are kept. Being its chief was often given to men.

Read more: In Photos: PROBE Team removes obstructions from road in Brgy Ermita

Yet Arce held the position from 2012 to 2016, and 2018 up to the present, a total of seven years in the position. She served three mayors including Michael Rama, his political opponent Tomas Osmeña, and the incumbent Mayor Edgardo Labella.

Even with the changing administrations, Arce remained to be the PROBE chief, and served the city government on its crucial role of implementing the laws.

She is the feisty woman of PROBE.

A humble start

Arce told CDN Digital that she had heard of her reputation among the informal settlers and most of them said she “has no heart.”

“Ingnon ko nga wala koy kaluoy sa mga tawo. Wala ko kasulay og kalisod. Layo kaayo na sa tinood kay gipanganak ko sa Barangay Cogon Pardo. Kinamaguwangan ko sa pito ka mag-igsuon. Nakatilaw ko sa kalisod,” she said in an interview with CDN Digital.

(They said that I do not have mercy for the people, that I have not experienced hardships. That is far from the truth because I was born in Barangay Cogon Pardo. I am the eldest of seven siblings. I have tasted poverty),” said Arce.

Born as Raquel Bohol on February 22, 1965 to her Tatay and Nanay, Arce said she was used to the difficult life.

As the eldest daughter, Arce was used to helping her parents take care of her siblings. Her father was a clerk of the Archdiocese of Cebu, while her mother was a housewife.

Her parents were the strength of Arce until the present day, as they supported her in her career and in her being a single mother.

Arce graduated at the University of San Jose-Recoletos with a degree in Commerce majoring in Computer Science.

She started her career in public service as a campaign staff of former mayor Tomas Osmeña, and during Osmeña’s first term as mayor in 1988, she became an admin aide.

Read more: Arce: From market head to cemetery guard

She remained with the Cebu City government until the present day rising from the ranks to become the Market Supervisor in 2007, then the PROBE chief from 2012 until the present.

 The price of a career woman

Arce admits she has been devoted to her job since her first day in 1988 and rising from the ranks took a toll in her family life.

She was married in 1995 and had five children, three girls and two boys. While her career rose in 2007 when she became the market supervisor of the city, her marriage failed in the same year.

“Basin wala lang gyod kasabot akong husband nganong dili na mi magkasalo og kaon sa panihapon. Pero ato nga time, naglihok ko sa akong promotion. Wala pud ko kahibaw unsa iyang gihuna-huna ato pero nagbuwag na lang gyod mi,” said Arce.

(Maybe my husband did not understand why I could no longer join him for dinner. At that time, I was working on my promotion. I did not know what he was thinking at that time, but we ended up ending our marriage.)

Since then, Arce raised her five children on her own with an iron fist, but a soft heart. Her eldest daughter, 30 years old, is also working in the government and a mother to three children. Her second son, 24 years old, is a professor in a university.

“I’m proud to say nga akong mga anak tarong ang mga kahimtang (that my children have a stable life),” said Arce.

Arce has a 20-year-old son in the seminary and still has two daughters in school. As a single mother, her goal is to have all her children settled.

“Swerte kaayo kay akong mga anak wala gyoy bisyo. (I am lucky that my kids never had vices). I may not be a good mother but I’m a good provider,” she said.

A mother like no other

Arce’s second son nicknamed Muybits, would not agree to her mother’s statement of “not being a good mother” as he said his mother did everything she could to give them a good life.

“Yes, difficult kaayo among life usahay tungod sa iyang trabaho (Yes, our lives had been sometimes difficult because of her work), but look at where we are now. The fact that we turned out okay, means she is good a mother,” said Muybits.

Arce is described as a disciplinarian by her children.

He said a mother like Arce would mean a unique childhood experience with threats a common occurrence in the household.

Arce received four death threats in her entire career.

On one occasion, the situation was grave since Muybits and his siblings became the target of the death threat, and they had to adjust their daily routines for the added security.

Read more: PROBE Chief: I’m alive

He said he would never forget how their mother protected them and told them that everything would be okay even if she herself was scared.

“Ana siya namo nga if magpadala mi nila, makadaug sila. (She told us that if we allow ourselves to be affected, the perpetrators would win),” he said.

This moment with his mother is a memory, Muybits would forever remember in his life. As he watched his mother staying strong for their family, he realized that their mother was one of a kind.

The essence of womanhood

For Arce, the essence of her womanhood is her children. She breathes, works, and lives for them.

She admits that as a woman, she struggled harder when it comes to leadership and rising from the ranks compared to her male counterparts, but she has never let these bring her down.

A strong woman, she says is confident in what she can do and how she can achieve things.

Her regrets was failing to keep her marriage, but she maintained that she could not be happier with her life today.

“Akong message sa mga Cebuanas, especially sa mga naay partners, don’t be afraid to work on your career. Just don’t compete with your partner. Your success should be for each other,” she said.

Arce said that women had the power to take on a man’s world as long as she would be determined to do so.

She sees herself successful in taking up the PROBE post, a typically man’s position, and make it her own.

In five years, Arce will be retiring from her post and her hopes then will be to finally rest and enjoy the company of her children and grandchildren.

And in those years, when she can look back on her career,  she can then definitely say, “I’m proud of myself.” /dbs

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