Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez has underscored the “heroic” act of the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in donating a portion of their salaries to contribute over P228 million to the government’s sustained efforts to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Volunteering to donate a portion of their salaries was beyond the call of duty of the PNP, yet they gladly did their share to help those in need in this time of crisis, Dominguez said.

“The worst of times brings out the best in men,” said Dominguez after accepting the donation from PNP chief Police General Archie Gamboa.

“Beyond the call of duty, our police officers and our non-uniformed PNP personnel volunteered to donate a portion of their pay to help fund the government’s efforts against the contagion. This is more than commendable. It is actually heroic,” Dominguez added.

Led by Gen. Gamboa, the organization’s uniformed and non-uniformed personnel raised a total of P228,445,207.00 in donations under the #TeamPNP Bayanihan Fund Challenge that was launched last April 15.

The PNP’s initial target was to raise around P200 million for the Bayanihan Fund Challenge, but it exceeded this target as a result of the participation of all uniformed and non-uniformed personnel in the project.

“On behalf of the Philippine government, I am honored to receive the P228.45 million worth of cash donations from the voluntary contribution of all PNP uniformed and non-uniformed personnel for our COVID-19 response efforts. I receive this donation with great awe. Those who sacrifice daily to protect our communities found it in their hearts to sacrifice more–they sacrificed part of their pay to help those in desperate need,” Dominguez said.

Gamboa noted that aside from the donations of the PNP personnel, other organizations such as the PNPA Alumni Association and the Police Cavaliers Association Inc. also pitched in and contributed to the fund-raising effort.

The PNP chief said that the voluntary contributions of the police organization “is a clear indication that the PNP is sympathetic to the fight of the government, especially ngayon na napakahirap (now that it’s very difficult). That’s why kahit hindi masyadong malaki (even if it is not too large) we like to contribute on the part of the PNP to show also our sympathy to government.”

“I’d like to thank the Philippine National Police–all its members–for the contribution, and of course, I’d like to thank also the Secretary of the Department of Finance for accommodating us in receiving this amount today,” Gamboa said.

Also at the event were Police Brigadier General Ferdinand Daway, Director of the PNP Finance Service; Police Major General Benigno Durana, Jr., Director for Police Community Relations; Police Brigadier General Marni Marcos Jr., the Acting Director for Comptrollership; and Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, the chief of the Public Information Office.

“This is truly noble and a generous effort. It is a gift from the frontline. It is a great act of citizenship,” Dominguez said of the PNP’s donation.

Dominguez also cited the PNP’s tough job of working round the clock to enforce quarantine regulations and protect Filipinos from the contagion.

“The police organization accepted the risks faced by all frontliners in this battle against the pandemic. Many of our men in uniform were themselves infected in the line of duty. All throughout, the PNP delivered on their tasks very, very effectively,” Dominguez noted.

Under Republic Act (RA) No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the expanded budgetary powers granted by the Congress to the President has enabled the government to formulate a four-pillar socioeconomic strategy to blunt the impact of COVID-19 on the Filipino people and the economy.

Dominguez said the PNP donation, which will be turned over to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), will be used to help finance the government’s four pillar strategy, particularly in providing economic relief to the poorest of the poor and other vulnerable groups, and in providing resources to the healthcare system and protecting medical frontliners.

This four-pillar strategy has a combined value so far of P1.49 trillion or about 8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

It covers the following [1] providing poor and low-income households, small-business employees and other vulnerable groups emergency and wage subsidies; [2] marshalling the country’s medical resources and ensuring the safety of healthcare front liners; [3] fiscal and monetary actions to finance emergency initiatives and keep the economy afloat, and [4] an economic recovery plan to create jobs and sustain growth under a post-quarantine scenario.

-oOo-