Shelter is one of the basic human needs. However, it is a sad reality that many families do not yet have a house of their own. This inspired the Valley Cops in their ‘Pabahay Project’ – providing a home for homeless families in Cagayan Valley.
The ‘Pabahay’ was an initiative of the Regional Community Affairs and Development Division of the Police Regional Office 2. The project was conceptualized to serve as a beacon of a community-centered and service-oriented arm of the police organization.
Building a house for a family is not within the mandate of the police department. It is not part of their core service. But the Valley Cops went beyond their comfort zones and explored their horizon as they continued to live with their mantra of ‘winning the hearts and minds of the people.
As a concept, police provincial offices, battalions, special forces, units, and stations were asked to identify families in their respective areas of jurisdiction who deserve to become the project’s beneficiaries. The qualification is very simple, a family without a decent shelter.
Major Sharon Mallillin, public information officer of PRO-2, said since 2021 when the project commenced, there were already 171 housing units awarded to identified beneficiaries of which 62 are in Isabela province, 61 in Cagayan, 24 in Nueva Vizcaya, 13 in Quirino, five in Batanes, seven in Santiago City, and seven initiated by the Provincial Mobile Force Companies (PMFCs).
The objective of the ‘Pabahay’ is not only to provide a decent and climate-resilient home to the poorest of the poor but also to former rebels who voluntarily returned to the folds of the law.
The former and the new house given to Guillermo and Linda Mendoza of Ballesteros Cagayan. (Photo courtesy of PNP Region 2)
“There were already four housing units awarded to former rebels. This is about our fight against insurgency and terrorism,” Mallillin said.
Roger Sanchez, 37 years of age and a father of six from Ilagan City, Isabela could hardly control his emotions when he expressed his gratitude to the government and the 1st PMFC of Isabela PNP as he could not believe that he was chosen to become a recipient of the Pabahay project.
Roger was a member of the New People’s Army for more than two years. His rebel unit was operating in San Mariano, Isabela and he was assigned to the logistics and food unit. He decided to surrender in March.
“When I observed that nothing good was going to happen to me inside the rebel group and my life was at risk, I decided to surrender through the police. I left my hometown, San Mariano, and lived with my wife and my children here in Ilagan City. However, we lived with my mother-in-law’s residence as we didn’t have any property,” he narrated.
“I am very thankful for this project. If I did not surrender, maybe until now I wouldn’t have a house yet. I will be forever grateful for this treasure they gave me. I promise them that I will take care of this,” Roger added.
Executive Master Sergeant Renato Martinez, executive senior police officer of 1st Police Mobile Force Company based in Isabela, said Roger was the first recipient of the Pabahay project under their unit as he qualified in all the unwritten criteria set as a beneficiary.
Punong Barangay George Mariano (in white) of Batong Labang, City of Ilagan, Isabela discusses how they assisted the family of Roger Sanchez to acquire a lot for the housing project given to him by the Philippine National Police. (Image by PIA)
Roger and Manilyn Sanchez express their gratitude to the government for the awarded housing unit for their family in interview of Oliver T. Baccay of the Philippine Information Agency Region 2. (Image by PIA)
“We chose him as our beneficiary for this housing unit because we have witnessed the challenges his family is going through. This is also a fulfillment of our promise to him that we will help him reintegrate into the mainstream society for them to live peacefully and progressively,” Martinez said.
The project started in May 2023. Martirez said the unit was built through the bayanihan system, a Filipino tradition, which is still alive and practiced up to the present. Do you wonder how long it was built? You will not believe it. In barely two months, a house with a living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms was constructed, inaugurated, and turned over to the Sanchez family.
Lt. Col. Ruben Martinez, force commander, admitted that constructing a house without a definite source of funds is not easy.
PEMS Renato Martinez of the 1st Isabela Provincial Mobile Force Company discusses their criteria in selecting their beneficiary for the Pabahay project. (Image by PIA)
“It is very challenging as the PNP does not have a fund for this kind of project because this is not part of our mandate. However, we strategized to look for donors. One of the best practices in our unit is the creation of an advisory council wherein the members are included in the planning and the execution of this Pabahay Project,” he said.
He also said they tapped some civic organizations, government officials, and local government units to support the project while the cops served as the laborers during the construction, including some volunteers in the community and the family of Roger.
Punong Barangay George Mariano said the barangay donated the lot where the house was built. Roger was also absorbed as a barangay tanod to actively serve the community.
In Peñablanca, Cagayan, the family of Lagrimas and Jose Pascua was also a lucky recipient of a housing unit of the Cagayan Police Provincial Office. The family also does not have a home and land to till. The couple as caretakers of an agricultural farm in Barangay Quibal.
Lagrimas, a mother of three, said her family was endorsed by their punong barangay to be one of the recipients of the ‘Pabahay Project’ of the police as they have longed to have their own home. Since they do not have a lot of property, the barangay also donated an area within the government’s housing project in the said barangay.
“We are very thankful for this opportunity. We now have a home of our own. We have been transferring from one place to another but we now have a permanent residence. We promise that we will take care of this gift from the government,” she happily stated.
Lagrimas Pascua narrates her family’s situation before they were given a housing unit by the Valley Cops in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency Region 2. (Image by PIA 2)
These are only a few of the heartwarming testimonies of the PNP Region 2’s Pabahay Project, turning impossible things into possibilities through collaborative efforts of the government and civic organizations.
Police officials said this endeavor became their advantage over the other PNP regional offices as Region 2 was awarded the best regional command nationwide. (OTB/PIA Region 2)
