PRO-7 honors Cebu earthquake responders

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) on Monday, October 13, recognized responders who took part in rescue and relief operations following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30.

The ceremony called “Pasidungog sa mga Bayani” gathered law enforcers, personnel of government agencies, and volunteers from partner organizations who played vital roles during the post-earthquake operations in Bogo City and neighboring localities in northern Cebu.

“Sa ganitong pagkilala at pagpupugay, narito sa inyong harapan ang iba’t ibang leaders upang personal na ipaabot ang aming taos-pusong pasasalamat. Kayo ang dahilan kung bakit mabilis at maayos ang pagtugon ng Cebu, ang inyong sakripisyo at malasakit ang tunay na diwa ng serbisyo, ” said PRO-7 Director Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan.

Maranan was joined by Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro and the Central Visayas head of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-7), Director Joel Erestain, and Shalaine Marie Lucero of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7).

Awards and recognitions

During the event, “Medalya ng Pagtulong sa Nasalanta” was awarded to police officers and units involved in search, rescue, and relief operations in coordination with local governments and incident command posts.

The recipients were PCOL Arnel Apud, Deputy Task Group Commander; PLTCOL Catherine Ramos, Task Group Law and Order Commander; and other Sub-Task Group Commanders and unit heads from Quick Response, Security, RSSF, and Emergency Preparedness and Response teams who efficiently planned, supervised, and coordinated the deployment of personnel, conducted inspections and close monitoring of affected areas, and supported clearing, search, retrieval, and relief operations in close coordination with the local government units and incident command posts of Bogo City.

Certificates of Recognition were also given to agencies and organizations, including the Provincial Government of Cebu, Visayas Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard District Central Visayas, Office of Civil Defense 7, Bureau of Fire Protection 7, 53rd Engineer Brigade, Naval Forces Central, Department of Social Welfare and Development 7, and the Joint Task Group Cebu.

Meanwhile, Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM-7), the Regional Advisory Group for Police Transformation and Development (RAGPTD-7), several private donors, and civic and fraternal groups for their support during the operations.