TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 13 (PIA) – To jump start the Libreng Alagad ug Balay (LAB) Project for law abiding under-privileged Boholanos, Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado handed in P360.00 to the Philippine National Police, January 10.
Turned over during the police provincial office command conference, the donation could immediately send the police and volunteer sectors into building low-cost but decent houses to poor Boholanos this early of the year, said Bohol Police Provincial Director Lorenzo A. Batuan.
Speaking during the latest joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order council meeting at the Capitol Ceremonial Hall, Col Batuan explained that Camp Dagohoy, in partnership with the Provincial Government of Bohol, the Dioceses of Tagbilaran and Talibon through its Balay sa Gugma project, congressional representatives, law enforcement agencies, business sector, religious institutions, youth and civil society volunteers initiated project LAB to provide decent shelter to selected beneficiaries from less fortunate families who have been God fearing and law abiding.
The houses, costing about P60,000 to P70,000, is funded by police partners, business organizations, establishments, and generous individuals, while the labor counterpart is given by church volunteers from the diocese and police volunteers including community volunteers and neighbors in Bayanihan, shared Police Lieutenant Colonel Norman Nuez, in a separate guesting at the Kapihan sa PIA.
Built on a 6 x 10 to 7 x 10 meters floor area, the house would already have bedrooms, a living room, dining and a little kitchen.
Some of the houses had cement flooring, with piles of concrete hollow block and amakan or plywood walls, galvanized iron sheets for roofing
Last year, BPPO has turned over some 12 houses when they started building in May and completed the 12 last December.
Five of the new houses were built for District I beneficiaries, three for District 2 and 2 for district 3.
Built houses for families who were not able to recover from the earthquake and the string of super typhoons that followed, these new decent houses are in Poblacion Norte, Carmen, Lapacan Sur Buenavista, Zamora Talibon, Campatud Loon, San Isidro Mabini, Soom Trinidad, Mayacabac Dauis, Mahayag Norte Catigbian, Maitum Catigbian, Bagacay-Cawayan in Loon, Imelda in Duero and Nahud in Danao.
Both Governor Aumentado and his wife Congresswoman Vanessa Aumentado have been among the tow contributors to the fund, but even the police force allocates some of their monthly pay for the project through a pledging system, Nuez added.
Project LAB is part of the Kasimbayanan Programs as implemented by the Police Community Affairs and Development Unit.
Other than Project LAB, the police are also implementing Generous Officers Offering Desirable Deeds for a genuine Community Orient Programs and Services (GOOD COPS). (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
