BAGUIO CITY – Who can tell the value of public service with a profound smile?
It costs the giver of smile nothing. But to the receiver – whether the person is homeless, lost and forsaken, sad and cheerless – the giver of public service with a smile is an act that couldn’t be priced for any amount.
It follows, then, to anyone who gives a smile, is one who disarms malice, turns hatred to love, subdues temper and paves the darkened path of the person smiled upon, with glittering of sunlight.
It happened last Monday, on a cold and sultry afternoon. It was a scene, that seemed unimportant to passersby at Camdas barangay, Baguio City, but which was caught by the lens of
Alwin Dwire Marrero, a youth and a resident nearby.
As Police trainee William Cayabo, assigned at Baguio City Police (BCPO) Station 2 was doing his assigned rounds, Cayabo spotted a forlorn and unidentified street person huddled in a corner of a street at Camdas Subdivision.
Passersby hardly gave attention to the street person.
But what clicked in the mind Cayabo, seeing the street person looking so dejected?
A smile on the brow of Cayabo betrayed his kind heart, his being a pleasant friend, his being an affectionate brother, and his being a dutiful son.
Instead of shooing off the street person, Cayabo, strode towards a burger stand, dipped into his pocket, purchased a cup of coffee, burger bread, went back to the street person and gently handed over what he bought to the hungry person.
Marrero, who happened to be passing by, watched the gentle interaction of Cayabo towards the street person and he immediately caught the scene on camera.
When asked why he did it, Cayabo simply answered, “I was only giving him food because I think he was hungry.”
But no! The understatement of Cayabo revealed his true nature.
Cayabo has inside him, the pleasure, the benevolent feeling of naturally performing a charitable action, which is one of the most elevated actions a person can perform.
For Cayabo, nothing cost so little, which at the same time is valuable, as the courteous act towards his fellow “kababayan.”
It comes natural in him, and will serve him in good stead in his pursuit as a law enforcement officer. Kindness is simply one of his manifestations.
It stands to reason that for Cayabo, a good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination in the pursuit of his life and life’s work.
For Cayabo, it is in obedience to the law of discipline being instilled by the BCPO and the Philippine National Police to all their trainees, which stands permanent in the divine law by which the universe is governed.
But there is more to it. Cayabo, who hails from the province of Kalinga, has made the Kalinga tribe folks proud by his action of charity. For in fact, Kalinga people are charitable by nature.
If Cayabo made his “kailyans” proud, he, too, has made the BCPO proud.
In a rare meeting with PCINSP. Gil B. Imado, BCPO Station 2 commander, Imado said that discipline is one among the many hallmarks that police trainees must take to heart.
And discipline translates to kindness, as Imado sees it. By the value of small acts of kindness, traits regenerate, from frowns to contrasting smiles, soft words with those that are harsh, and a uniformly courteous demeanor with one which is rough and uncivil.
Cayabo, who was called in to BCPO Station 2 office from his assignment on the streets by Imado, prior to the meeting, revealed his reserved nature but with a friendly side.
On another side of the meeting, Imado discussed the rerouting of trucks from Buhagan (Bokawkan) Road to Ferguson Road, in an attempt to deter future vehicular accidents.
Imado disclosed that he had been mulling over a truck lane at Buhagan Road’s right side.
If the truck lane will be implemented, no other vehicles will be allowed entry, use and parking of said truck lane.
In the event of mechanical defects, the trucks can use the truck lane extreme right side as a stopper, to halt any runaway truck.
By BONY A. BENGWAYAN
