I got an appointment in our barangay as one of the Tanod/CVO ( Civilian Volunteer Organization ) in January 2022 and have been in it since then. We were divided into 4 groups of 5-6 members and were scheduled to report for duty in every four days for 24 hours but we didn't have to be really there on those days.
We start reporting as early as 6 in the morning, assisting the traffic flow of the busiest place on weekdays; the school. We go home for breakfast and report again to the barangay hall at 8 until the office ends. At night, I and my male colleagues return past 8 in the evening for occasional and random inspections along the vicinity of our barangay properties, and then we go home by 5.
Our salary!? It's more like an allowance, 2,000 pesos monthly from the barangay, 2,000 pesos quarterly from the municipality budget and another from the province. Mind you, 2,000 pesos is about 76 US dollars as of today's exchange.
Anyway, it's not every day though and I can do important things and have another work schedule and sidelines.
One fine day, one of the high School teachers asked for help and my team and I boarded the available vehicle, the ambulance and went to the Rescue!
The chainsaw needs a CPR! (kidding) lol.
One of the old mango trees gave up life and fell down affecting a portion of the roofing of one of the buildings, a shed on the High School where I used to go. But it only caused minor damage and none was hurt.
So much had to be done but there is only one tool. The chainsaw master started his work even with the heat of the scorching sun while some stood by watching from the shade
We too, even just Tanod are subject to provide public service to the community we are in. It was a great pleasure to do so though, it was fulfilling to make people's lives better and easier because of our help and services. Even so, we are quick to respond to anyone's concerns and making them our priorities.
We men who knew how to operate the chainsaw took turns to make our work light and the rest looked for a pair to lift the logs out of the way. It was a hard and heavy thing to do but with each other's encouragement and hard work, we finished the job happily.
Classes might have been disturbed by the noise we made but they were relieved that the boulders that the mango tree made were now gone and they are free to pass by and move around.
I took the pictures for me to be reminded when we need to write our accomplishment reports; I discovered that documenting the jobs we have done will make it easier for me to remember. Yet I thought of sharing it here too so the world might experience what I had through the photos and the story I shared.
I'll leave you all that for now. see you around soon!