CEBU CITY – A family of 10 in one of the mountain barangays here is the recipient of the “Bahay Mo, Puso Ko,” an advocacy program of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Cebu City Police Office’s Cebu Mobile Force Company (CMFC), headed by Police Maj. Chuck Barandog, on Tuesday held the groundbreaking for the construction of a house worth P400,000 in Barangay Pamutan.

“For this house, our beneficiary is Roldan Saballe. He is a farmer with eight children,” said Barandog.

Barandog said it would take at least a month to construct the house and once completed, it will be immediately turned over to the Saballe family.

Barandog explained that the advocacy program aims to promote the “bayanihan” spirit in the community especially in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the CMFC, at least 15 recipients have already identified.

“We are looking to award one recipient every month. We conduct validation to make sure that the recipients are really those who are less fortunate. This is a concerted effort of various stakeholders,” said Barandog.

Validation of recipients is being done by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other stakeholders.

The funds that will be used to construct of the house were donated by various stakeholders and advocacy groups, Barandog said.

While it is not part of the police’s anti-criminality campaign, the program will somehow help ensure peace and order in mountain barangays, Barandog said.

“This project will form part of our police community relations especially in barangays where government services cannot be fully felt. It shows that the police are exerting efforts to bring the government closer to these areas,” Barandog said.