Carcar City cops walk several kilometers to deliver relief goods to poor families in mountain barangays

The Carcar City Police walk and drive around mountain baranagays to deliver relief goods to poor families. | Photo Courtesy of Carcar City police

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Have you ever tried traveling miles despite not having enough sleep and money for fare just to see the faces of loved ones you miss very much?

Well, for the men and women of Carcar City Police Station, the scenario could be compared to delivering the relief goods they had been giving to the poorest members of the community in the remote and mountain barangays of the city.

Despite the additional responsibilities of each police officer since Cebu province was put under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) as precautionary measures against the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Carcar City policemen had gladly extended their 12 hours shifts to help pack relief goods and even to also deliver them to the poorest members of the community in the mountain barangays.

“Bahala kapoy na kaayo amoang lawas sa duty o wala pa mi tulog, maglakaw gihapon mi para mahatud ang hinabang,” said Police Senior Master Sergeant Rowena Santillan of the Carcar City Police Station.

(It does not matter if our body is tried from working on our shifts or we don’t have any sleep at all, we will still deliver the relief goods to these communities.)

According to Santillan, their policemen for two weeks now have been driving and walking around the mountain areas of Barangays Guadalupe, Valencia and Poblacion 1 in the city, to deliver the relief goods to the chosen poorest families.

Some areas are three or even seven kilometers away from the highway, which can only be reached on foot.

Santillan said the 40 policemen of the Carcar City Police Station had been donating P100 from their allowance and salary since last week, pooling their money to buy canned goods and other grocery supplies to be given as relief goods to the chosen poorest families in the city.

Santillan said it was an initiative and a responsibility they took in order to let the community know of the love they had for serving others.

“Makahappy nga makita ni nga mga pamilya nga lipay kaayo nga nakadawat silag hinabang nga wala diay sila makalimtan,” said Santillan.

(We are happy to see that these families are happy to receive these relief goods that they are forgotten.)

Santillan said most of the families, who received the relief goods, were those who were not listed to receive the government’s help because the areas they were located were already too far.

Santillan said that since the policemen themselves saw the situation of the families, they were more than willing to extend help in any other ways they were capable of.

He said that they were inspired by their own chief, Police Lieutenant Colonel Clarissa Gabutan, that the policemen in their station were willing to endure the long walks and drives to reach the areas of their chosen poorest families and see the smiles on their faces when they would receive the small grocery supplies./dbs