Police Master Sergeant Christopher Cesa helps man a checkpoint in Minglanilla town, southern Cebu. | contributed photo
CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES—When Cebu Province was placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in late March 2020 due to the coronavirus disease, Police Master Sergeant Christopher Cesa was among the policemen assigned in a border control checkpoint in Minglanilla town.
Cesa, who is 33 years old, is still reporting for duty up to this day.
But being a cop was not really the plan of Cesa, who is from Talisay City in Cebu.
“Actually, layo ra gyud ang pagka pulis sa akong hilig kay akoa man gyud unta kuhaon kanang involving sa electronics,” he said.
(Actually, being a policeman was far from what I really wanted because what I planned to take was something involving electronics.)
“Pagka bata nako, mahilig kaayo ko mo guba og mga electronic parts unya akong ayuhon balik. Mahilig sad ko mag record sa akong tingog kanang suhiron ang mga drama sa radyo. Wala gyud sa akong ambisyon mag pulis.
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(When I was young, I was very fond of dismantling electronic parts and then put them back together. I was also fond of recording my voice and follow the drama programs on the radio. It was really never my ambition to be a policeman.)
His love for electronics would take a sudden U-turn when he enrolled for his college education.
“Pag enroll sa college, na close ma ang mga subjects para sa electronics nga course. Ang advice sa akong mama kuhaon lang nako ang mga minor subjects kung unsa akoang ma enrollan, unya shift nalang ko inig sunod nga semester. Mao to nga nag criminology ko,” he said.
(When I enrolled for college, all the subjects for the electronics course were full already. So the advice of my mom was to take the minor subjects which were available at that time and then just shift course in the next semester. That’s why I just took up criminology.)
“Apan 1998 akong family naka sinati og disgrasya. Akong mama ug papa na disgrasya samtang nag hatud sila og RTW (ready to wear) nga negosyo namo sa Bogo. Namatay akong mama og na paralyzed akong papa,” he added.
(But in 1998, my family got into an accident. My mom and dad met an accident while delivering RTW items which was our business in Bogo. My mom died and my dad was paralyzed after the accident.)
This unfortunate event led him to proceed with his criminology course.
“Wala nako madayun pag shift. Nag-padayun nalang ko. Naka hunong pako usa ka tuig kay akong gi dedicate sa pag atiman sa akong papa. Apan akong mga sacrifices na baylohan raman pud.”
(So I didn’t push through with the plan to shift. I just continued with my criminology course. I even stopped for one year to dedicate my time in taking care of my dad. But all my efforts eventually paid off.)
Cesa has now been in the police force for 15 years, and although he admits it hasn’t been a smooth ride, he says it was all worth it.
“Naka agi nako og lain-lain nga sitwasyon ug naka ila og lain-lain nga klase sa tawo. Usahay kapoy ang trabaho pero fulfilling man gihapon kay naka tabang man sa kumonidad.”
(I’ve been through a lot of situations and I’ve met a lot of different people. Work is tiring at times but fulfilling because I know I am able to help the community.) /bmjo