PANGASINAN – Staff Sergeant Virgilio Sanchez, a 46-year-old police officer in Pangasinan, recently received PHP100,000 to aid in his post-kidney transplant recovery. The funds, gathered through donations and a local shooting competition, were presented to Sanchez’s family to help cover ongoing medical expenses.
According to Philippines News Agency, chief of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO), the money was raised by chiefs of police across the province and through a shooting competition. The donation was handed over to Sanchez's wife, Myrna, at the Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City, where the surgery was performed last month. Myrna highlighted the significance of the financial support for her husband’s continuous need for anti-rejection medication following his successful transplant.
Sanchez has been battling kidney disease since it was discovered in 2021, enduring regular dialysis for over two and a half years as his condition progressed. The decision to undergo a kidney transplant came after his situation escalated severely, prompting an urgent search for a donor which began in mid-2021.
Colonel Fanged mentioned that this donation is part of Project CARES (Compassionate Act towards Recovery and Encouragement of the Sick), an initiative started by the PPPO in 2023 to support officers facing severe health issues. To date, the program has assisted 21 officers, leveraging community events like the semi-annual shooting competition to gather funds.
"This support is vital for our officers who depend solely on their salaries and have no other income. It helps them sustain themselves and their families during tough times," said Fanged, emphasizing the broader impact of such community-supported efforts.