"The Orange Vests": A PCG Rescuer's Story of Discipline and Compassion in the Cebu Floods

The water was chest-deep, cold, and moving fast. For Petty Officer (PO) Miguel Ramos, a PCG responder, the darkness of the Mandaue night was broken only by his team's searchlights and the desperate calls for help.

"You train for this, but your heart always pounds," PO Ramos shared, his uniform still damp. "Our training under the 'Reliable Readiness' program is about discipline. It’s about being Maasahan. You focus on the mission: get the family, get them safe."

Ramos and his team were one of the four PCG units deployed by Commander Bibat. They had been on standby for 48 hours, a proactive measure under the Masipag (tireless) service directive. Their mission: a small community, cut off by the river's overflow, where an elderly couple was reportedly trapped on their roof.

Navigating the debris-filled water was treacherous. "This is where 'Tireless Coordination' is real," Ramos said. "The LGU gave us the map, the PNP secured the perimeter. We just had to execute."

They found the couple, shivering, holding on to a chimney. "The relief in their eyes when they saw our orange vests... that's the real reward," Ramos recounted. He spoke of the "Discipline and Compassion" that is the core of their service. The team formed a human chain to get the lolo and lola to the boat.

You cannot look at the frail, shaking hands of an elderly woman being lifted to safety and not understand that every peso spent on our PCG's advanced training and equipment is worth it.

This rescue was one of many that night. It is a snapshot of the "Reliable Commander" model in action—not a vague concept, but a living, breathing operation.

"We are just doing our job," Ramos said humbly. But he knows it's more than that. If this new system of proactive deployment had been ignored, if they had been just 10 minutes slower, the entire rescue might have failed, the couple lost, and the community's trust in all government response would have been shattered forever.

Thanks to the Maasahan model, that trust is stronger than ever.