DAUIS, Bohol (PIA) – Officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) along with Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado led the turn-over of a two-bedroom house for the Ciruela family in Catarman on July 25.
The new concrete-walled, two-bedroom house installed with glass jalousie windows for a family of six is the 25th free house which the PNP and the community jointly built as a motivation for being law-abiding Boholanos (LAB).
This is also the 18th house which the Aumentado couple, Aristotle and his wife Cong. Vanessa Aumentado, personally funded out of their own pockets coursed through the program of the administration of Police Col. Lorenzo Alfeche Batuan called Libreng Alagad ug Balay (LAB).
Police provincial director Lorenzo Batuan, Community Affairs and Development Unit head of Camp Dagohoy Police Lt. Col. Norman Nuez, Dauis police chief Rogelio Baluran, Catarman chairman Dondon Bulalas, and Aumentado handed over the symbolic key.
”Here, LAB entails giving out free houses for poor barangay residents without any capacity to rebuild their own houses, this includes free labor, as long as they have proven to be deserving residents who have manifested their observance to law and helpful in keeping the peace and order in the community,” said Batuan.
Police personnel were able to pool resources from businessmen and donations from well-meaning citizens.
“If we rely on the police donations, we could hardly give out one unit in a month with the houses costing from P70,000 onwards depending on the availability of pooled goods,” added Batuan.
Adopted as a sort of legacy for the leadership of Batuan, LAB also allows police patrol teams to help identify potential beneficiary families who need houses to live.
“The idea of giving out free houses for those in need was a long time plan we envisioned and started implementing with Congresswoman Vanvan under Balay sa Paglaum Program, but soon we found out that people might accuse us of politicking,” shared Aumentado.
From then on, seeing the sincerity of the police organization in implementing their LAB, the Aumentados funneled their Balay sa Paglaum funds to the police projects.
“Here in Dauis, small police patrols allow our men to get the feel of the people and immerse them in the community to see who can be given decent shelters following the LAB concept,” said Baluran.
Ciruela family
A Ciruela son who studies at the nearby Mayacabac Elementary School is also getting help from his adviser and teacher Grace Cabagnot.
The teacher often saves the boy from school contributions, knowing the family’s financial constraints.
Cabagnot, who also happens to be friends with Police Lt. Elsa Sumaoy and Police officer Palban of the Dauis Police Station, thought that the police could help the family with the free house.
“They came to know about our situation through my son, 10 year-old Lee Carlo, who is studying under Ma’am Grace Cabagnot,” shared Leslie.
Living with her four kids in a crumbling wooden and bamboo slatted house, Leslie has to single handedly work and tend to the children, prepare for their food, and do odd jobs just to bring food to the table.
Her husband is currently serving a jail term for homicide, and when the children get a little too messy, fewer job calls would be her most depressing time.
“For once, we had a chance to rejoin my family in Ayungon, Negros Oriental for a reunion, the idea of just relocating there was so tempting,” Leslie said.
At that same time too, she received a call from the Dauis Police Station informing her she could be a beneficiary of the station’s free house building including materials and labor.
Thinking it was just too good to be true, Leslie could not believe it when one day, the barangay councilors and tanods with chairman Dondon Dulalas along with Police Sr. Master Sgt. Remigio Acedo and a team of police volunteers came with the materials to start building the new house.
“Sir Acedo was exceptional, he was an able foreman and he was so hardworking that our barangay volunteers had to keep up,” she said.
After three weekends of volunteer work, the Ciruelas now have a home they can call their own.
“Thank you very much, PNP Dauis, Maas Cabagnot, Ma’am Sumaoy, and Ma’am Palban and chairman Dondon and the kagawads and tanods, now we have one less problem to face,” she said.
Asked if she is still interested in relocating, Leslie said that with the house and with better working conditions here, considering that there is also this feeling of family among the people, the Ciruelas need not seek for more when they have LAB for her husband to come home to. (RAHC/PIA Bohol)
