FLOOD RESCUE BRINGS RIPPLES OF HOPE MEMBERS BACK TO THANK PRO3 PERSONNEL  

BY KEVIN GALANG

CAMP OLIVAS, City of San Fernando, Pampanga — Days after being rescued from rising floodwaters in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, members of the non-profit organization Ripples of Hope returned to this camp not to ask for help but to personally thank the police officers who helped bring them and their loved ones to safety.

The group was among those assisted by personnel of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 3 (RMFB3) led by Lt. Col. Edilmar G. Alviar during rescue operations at the height of flooding in Sto. Tomas.

Among those evacuated was a woman who was with her minor child and mother, who was undergoing cancer treatment.

With floodwaters continuing to rise, police personnel immediately assisted the family in getting out of the flooded area, bringing them to a safer location.

The rescue came as Camp Olivas itself was also affected by flooding. 

Despite the difficult conditions, the rescued individuals were given temporary shelter at the PRO3 Grandstand while authorities continued their disaster-response operations.

Several days later, members of Ripples of Hope returned to Camp Olivas to personally express their gratitude to the RMFB3 personnel who responded to their call for assistance.

They also brought food packs for PRO3 personnel, turning the visit into a gesture of appreciation for police officers who continued serving communities even while dealing with the effects of the same disaster.

For the Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3), the visit highlighted the human side of disaster response, where police personnel are not only tasked with enforcing the law but are also called upon to protect lives and assist families during emergencies.

PRO3 director Brig. Gen. Jess B. Mendez thanked the members of Ripples of Hope for their thoughtful gesture and commended the RMFB3 personnel for immediately responding when the community needed assistance.

“Our personnel responded because it was their duty, but gestures like this remind us why that duty matters. In times of disaster, bringing even one person or one family to safety gives greater meaning to the work of our police personnel. More than responding to an emergency, we are protecting lives and making sure our people know that they are not alone in difficult times,” Mendez said.

The PRO3 chief said police personnel in Central Luzon would continue to remain ready to assist communities affected by flooding and other emergencies.

He added that the commitment is consistent with the direction of chief PNP Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. to provide “Serbisyong Mabilis, Tapat, at Nararamdaman.”

The visit marked a meaningful conclusion to an emergency that began with rapidly rising floodwaters. 

Those who once needed help returned days later to thank the people who answered their call.

For the police officers involved in the rescue, the gesture served as a reminder that public service extends beyond responding to emergencies — it means being present when people are most vulnerable and helping ensure that no family feels alone when lives are at stake.