TACLOBAN CITY – The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8), under the leadership of Regional Director PB/Gen. Jason Capoy, has dispatched a disaster response contingent to Cebu province to assist in relief and rehabilitation efforts following the devastation caused by Typhoon “Tino.”
A send-off ceremony for the 73-member team — composed of four Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs) and 69 Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCOs) — was held Thursday morning at the PRO-8 Gymnasium. The group will reinforce the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO-7) in disaster operations in the hardest-hit areas of Danao, Compostela, Cotcot, and Liloan.
The contingent will help in clearing operations and provide law enforcement support by temporarily relieving local police personnel affected by the typhoon. They also brought essential equipment and supplies, including chainsaws, family tents, radios, Starlink units, food packs, rice, and drinking water.
Capoy commended the dedication and compassion of the deployed personnel, saying their mission exemplifies PRO-8’s spirit of “Serbisyong May Malasakit.”
“This mission is not only about delivering aid but also about bringing hope and reassurance to communities affected by calamities. Your willingness to serve, even in the face of hardship, reflects PRO-8’s commitment to public service,” he said.
The contingent is expected to stay in Cebu for about a week to assist local authorities and residents in ongoing relief and rehabilitation activities.
Meanwhile, PRO-8 conducted a post-assessment meeting on November 5 to evaluate the region’s response to Typhoon “Tino.” The session, led by PCOL Dennis Jose S. Llavore, Deputy Regional Director for Operations, gathered inputs from Provincial and City Police Offices (PPOs/CPOs) on successful interventions, operational gaps, and lessons learned.
The meeting noted that preemptive evacuations across the region helped minimize casualties, though communication issues were encountered in Southern Leyte, where the typhoon made landfall. To address this, the body recommended acquiring additional Starlink units for all PPOs, CPOs, and police stations to ensure continuous communication during emergencies.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
