Going the extra mile: RMFB cops help build home for family who lived in abandoned pig-pen

Members of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 703 Maneuver Company help in the construction of a house for the Pasquel family in Barangay Liong, Dumanjug, Cebu. Before the construction of the house, the family used to live in an abandoned pig pen. | Photo Courtesy of Police Lieutenant Rafel Lorenz Serion

CEBU CITY, Philippines –Policemen are known to “serve and protect” the public at all times.

While we’re used to seeing cops protecting the public from bad elements, there are also times we see them do good deeds and help those in need.

One example of this is the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in Central Visayas‘ (RMFB-7) 703rd Maneuver Company, who helped build a house for a family in Barangay Liong, Dumanjug town, northwestern Cebu.

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Personnel from the RMFB-7’s 703rd company donated portions of their salary to be able to buy the materials needed to build the house of the Pasquel family, who, for the past four years, were living in an abandoned pig-pen in the barangay.

The construction of the house, which started last Friday, July 3, 2020, is also being done by cops from the RMFB-7’s 703rd Company. It stands just right beside where the family used to live.

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Police Lieutenant Rafael Lorenz Serion, deputy company commander of the 703rd Company, told CDN Digital via phone interview, that they met Pasquel family through the dad, who runs some errands for the policemen in their headquarters from time to time.

Serion said that they later discovered that the family lived in a makeshift house in an abandoned pig-pen near the base of the RMFB 703’s headquarters.

“They turned it into a makeshift house that was only covered by a curtain and a used tarpaulin,” said Serion.

The Pasquel family is composed of six individuals–the dad Chris, mom Ann, and their four children.

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Serion said the family used to live in a small house which would often be flooded whenever there would be a heavy downpour. This is what prompted the family to transfer to the abandoned pig-pen nearby.

Later, it was also learned that the Pasquel couple had only been taking sideline jobs offered by neighbors to be able to get by. They also found out that all the four children of the couple were not enrolled for school due to financial constraints.

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Upon learning all of this, Serion said that the members of the RMFB 703 decided to come up with a project to help the family. Serion said that the members of the squad didn’t hesitate to offer portions of their own salary so construction of the house could immediately start.

Despite some of the personnel also experiencing their own hardships, Serion said that no one hesitated to lend a helping hand.

“Grateful kay naka tabang ang PNP personnel sa one of the poorest household diri sa Dumanjug. Despite naa tay pandemic but the spirit of giving and helping each other is still there,” said Serion.

(We’re grateful that PNP personnel were able to help one of the poorest household in Dumanjug. Despite the pandemic, the spirit of giving and helping each other is still there.) /bmjo