ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines — A photo of employees of the first district engineering office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Sultan Kudarat province standing and silently praying for the safety and protection of all frontliners has touched the hearts of the netizens.
The photo was taken during the “silent prayer” ceremony offered by the officials and employees of the 1st District Engineering Office (1st DEO) for the “frontliners” during the celebration of the 122nd foundation anniversary of the DPWH yesterday.
The holding of the prayer ceremony was in line with the directives of Secretary Mark Villar and DPWH XII Regional Director Basir Ibrahim to all district offices to dedicate their celebrations to the “heroic acts” of the frontliners and to the efforts of the government in fighting the deadly COVID-19 disease that continue hounding the country.
The photo was sent by Mr. Abdul Campua, who covered the silent prayers ceremony, to online news agencies AL SUARA NEWS Philippines and Manila-based DIYARYO MILENYO.
In the photo, the employees are standing and silently praying for the frontliners. They are at least one meter apart and all of them wore face masks, adhering to the health safety protocols of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and work safety guidelines issued by DPWH for its employees.
Mr. Campua captioned it telling the employees’ act of “honoring” the sacrifices made by the frontliners, including other volunteering health workers, and solemn “plea” to God that they be always “protected” against coronavirus.
The photo got dozens of “shares” and “likes” after it was posted in the Facebook pages of Al Suara News Philippines and Diyaryo Milenyo.
Catt Citt Ursulinie, a nurse working at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Health Office (SKPHO), shared “kind words” to DPWH employees, thanking them for offering a “silent prayer” and for recognizing the frontliners’ efforts and sacrifices in saving the lives of the people of Sultan Kudarat against the coronavirus.
Her fellow nurses, she said, also thanked the employees for doing the silent prayers.
Police manning the check-points in various strategic places in the province appreciated what the employees did during the celebration of the DPWH 122nd foundation anniversary.
“Thank for your prayers,” said a junior police officer assigned at the checkpoint in the border of Sultan Kudarat province. (Rashid RH. Bajo via DM-Mindanao Desk)