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By Maricel V. Cruz, Reporter
First of two parts
They could very well be called
“uniformed” overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), referring to the
hundreds of policemen deployed as UN peacekeepers around the world.
They leave their families at home
for a normally one-year tour of duty, endure homesickness, and risk
their lives for a mission. Some of them said their goal is
simple—to return alive and with all their limbs intact.
After completing their mission,
these uniformed OFWs also normally receive awards that include
medals and promotions in rank. But some feel they are unrecognized.
At present, the Philippine
National Police has about 300 personnel serving in various UN
peacekeeping missions: Kosovo and Georgia in Eastern Europe; Sudan
and Darfur in Africa; Nepal in South Asia; and Afghanistan in
Central Asia.
The Philippines started
participating in UN peacekeeping missions in 1992.
Police Superintendent Dionardo
Carlos, now chief of the Public Information Unit at the national
police headquarters, was among the pioneers deployed to Cambodia. He
later joined another mission to East Timor.
Cambodia, at that time he was
sent there, was reeling from civil war, Carlos said. He added that
the scenario there was like Hollywood war movies he had seen in
Manila—chaotic.
The mission given to the
Philippine contingent was to maintain peace during a plebiscite, in
which Cambodians elected a new government.
Carlos said the pre-departure
process was nearly as difficult as the mission. They were required
to go through a battery of examinations—fitness and medical exams;
tests on writing, listening comprehension; target shooting; driving
tests; and even interviews conducted by the national police and the
UN—just to qualify for the mission.
“Dadaan ka sa butas ng karayom
[You go through the needle’s eye],” he said. There were so many
applicants, but the slots were limited, he added.
Not much has changed today, when
thousands of police would apply, 300 would go through screening, and
in the end, fewer than 100 would be selected, “depending on the
slots or request of the UN,” Carlos told The Manila Times. “Only
the best will be able to make it.”
Police Superintendent Gabriel
Lopez, assistant director for personnel of the police’s Traffic
Management Group, is a licensed civil engineer, but he prefers to be
a policeman because he said he loves the job.
He considers himself “lucky”
for having been selected to join a UN mission for three straight
years. He served in East Timor from 2001 to 2002, Iraq from 2003 to
2004, and in Kosovo from 2005 to 2006.
Not all UN peacekeepers from the
Philippines are men.
Senior Police Superintendent
Jimeli Acuña was also a peacekeeper. She said she proved her worth
not only as a smart female police officer, but also how a Filipina,
armed with talent, skills, knowledge and training, could be as
effective as men and peacekeepers of other nationalities.
In the beginning, Acuña was just
curious about why men outnumber women police officers in
peacekeeping missions. Her curiosity eventually led her to joining
the contingent sent to East Timor in 2006.
Peacekeeping work
Peacekeepers are basically tasked
to police, Carlos said. Their job is similar to police work done at
home—including administration duties, patrolling, and maintaining
peace and order during demonstrations. Both the Philippine National
Police and the UN issue equipment and other things the peacekeepers
need during the mission.
In Cambodia, he said the primary
mission was to help maintain a peaceful atmosphere during the
elections. “So we were securing the electoral officers, helping
… [in electoral work] like the registration of citizenry.”
“We provided them [officials]
the security, [and] after the election, we conducted training for
their army and police until we ended the mission,” he said.
Perks and benefits
Peacekeepers are on duty for
practically 24 hours. They earn a six-day rest, called
“compensated time off,” after serving for a month straight,
Carlos said.
But most find the perks—and the
pay—worth it.
Many Filipino peacekeepers in
Cambodia used the six days to return to the Philippines and visit
family. Some use the rest period to travel to countries near where
they are serving.
Besides the opportunity to
travel, peacekeepers receive an allowance during their mission.
Carlos recalled they initially received $145 a day in subsistence
allowance, but that was later brought down to $130 on average.
Still there were tradeoffs.
One could not just go out and
play basketball, like what the officers would do in the Philippines,
said Lopez, whose quarters in East Timor was in a basketball court.
Women, like Acuña, couldn’t go
on a shopping spree.
Going out, like they would do at
home, was not an option. Instead, Carlos said many passed the time
watching movies on VHS tapes.
Experiences and sacrifices
Carlos, Lopez and Acuña said
volunteering for a mission required making sacrifices, not just for
themselves but also for their families left home for a year who are
constantly worrying about the safety of their loved ones.
But Lopez said he saw
peacekeeping as an adventure. He joined the mission, precisely
because he knew it was dangerous—besides the fact that it was good
experience.
Acuña said she joined the
mission out of curiosity, saying she wanted to see what it would be
like for a woman. During her stint in East Timor, this 33-year-old
wife and mother of three said there were only eight Filipina
peacekeepers in the 100-strong contingent from the Philippines.
Like Lopez, Acuña had to leave
her kids. Naturally, she said she missed her children during her
tour, but she kept her mind on her mission. She said she would work
to the point of exhaustion, so that she wouldn’t have the energy
to miss her family so much.
For Carlos, the Christmas and New
Year’s were tough. He remembered feeling lonely whenever he
returned to his apartment, but he would get over it by thinking that
his family would benefit from his sacrifices.
Carlos said, “At first, it was
difficult, but later on we were able to adapt. Coming from a
training that you expect for the worst.” Once there, “you try to
adapt.”
To be continued
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