AFTER seeing death almost engulfing him when he was buried alive
about 15 feet below the ground while at work, Arvin Marabiles has clung
into his faith that the Almighty God has given him the chance to
continue living for him to return the goodness that has been blessed to
him.
“We do this so others may live,” is not just a simple motto after
that, but has become his way of life when he founded a rescue group and
has volunteered to any rescue efforts.
For he, who himself once faced death from a disaster almost two
decades ago, Arvin has since embraced his second life upholding valour
and selflessness in caring and saving others’ lives.
Fateful day
On that fateful moment in 1997 somewhere in Tugbok, Davao City, with
constant rain around, drenched soil collapsed on Arvin as he was
installing new main water transmission pipelines in an open canal
culvert in a depth of 15 feet, instantly burying him to the ground
He was last heard shouting “Mama!”, and shortly fell silent as
darkness seized his consciousness. The next thing he knew he was resting
on a hospital bed.
Had it not for the hasty action of his co-workers who dug on soil
that collapsed on him, using only their bare hands for about ten
minutes, and without his welding mask that sustained his oxygen need
from the trapped air in it, he could not have been retrieved alive.
Arvin was 25 years old at the time of the accident with everything in
life – a stable job as a welder at the Davao City Water District since
1992, owning a house, and a girlfriend who would become an understanding
wife amid marital challenges that stemmed from his passion for
volunteerism.
Aspiration for volunteerism
Even before the tragedy, Arvin’s volunteerism actually started from
his desire to serve the church and involve the youth using his
initiative and spending his own resources. Once, he gathered more than
1,700 youth in a youth camp focused on recognizing their talents.
“The experience (from the accident) strengthened my faith in the
Lord, realizing that I have a mission in life,” said Arvin, who was
active parishioner at the St. Francis Xavier Parish in Barangay Tibungco
as “Pangulo sa Batan-on,” a sacristan and a choir member.
“I enjoy volunteering work. This is where I am happy. I want to help
those who need urgent help, especially in times of disaster,” he said.
The rise of SFX TRABMOC
Five years after the accident, Arvin brought into being the SFX
TRABMOC or the St. Francis Xavier Trabungco Mountaineering Club, a
search and rescue group that has become one of Davao City’s reliable and
competent first responders to disasters. It is the only team covering
the northern part of the city, extending even to some parts of Davao del
Norte and Compostela Valley especially during the onslaught of super
typhoon Pablo.
The group, formally registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) in 2004, started out merely as a mountaineering club
with 40 members coming from various sectors such as students,
out-of-school youth, professionals, non-professionals, working and
non-working volunteers.
SFX TRAMBOC was originally a church-based club which Arvin organized
mainly to encourage youth to be active in church and to care for the
environment through mountain climbing and clean-up activities.
“We want the club to be more significant and useful in the community,
so we expand and improve the group to respond to disasters,” Arvin
intimated.
As a rescue group, SFX TRAMBOC has 60 trained volunteer members,
although only 30 are currently active in the service, including four
nurses and a midwife.
The group is headquartered at Arvin’s residential compound, which
operates 24/7 with 3-4 standby volunteers and a six-bed and radio room
amenities.
Personal sacrifices endured
His passion to help others entails personal sacrifices, such as
spending his own money to foregoing the opportunity to live in London
with his wife and son, and with a job offering a monthly income of
P140,000.
A year after he married Rachel, who works as a nurse in London, Arvin
was able to take a job as a forklift operator for nine months in 2006,
leaving behind his work at DCWD and the rescue team temporarily.
But his strong devotion to help others brought him back home and
continued what he left behind. The decision almost broke his marriage,
but without let-up, he wooed and cajoled his wife to understand, until
the couple finally strengthened their relationship.
With his permanent residency status in London, Arvin and his son,
Francis Raven, travel to London every two years to renew their visas
which would also be the time to visit his wife. The father and son just
came home August last year from a four-month vacation in the United
Kingdom.
As humble and low-profile that he is, Arvin spends his own to keep
his volunteerism work going, avoiding soliciting assistance from others,
even from government.
“We work independently without asking financial assistance from our barangay,” he stated.
Out of his savings from the income as forklift operator abroad, Arvin
was able to purchase one unit of multi-cab that serves as an ambulance
with basic medical aid to transport patients regularly. SFX TRABMOC is
one of five volunteer groups in Davao City that has its own ambulance.
The other rescue equipment and gadgets also include hydraulic jacks,
ladders, life jackets, and wooden life boat which are estimated to cost
more than P800,000.
Arvin uses part of his salary as a senior welder at DCWD for the
first aid kits and medicines and for the food provision for his
volunteers, and fuel for the ambulance.
Even the construction of the family’s dream house was deferred for a
while because the priority was the purchase of rescue equipment.
Another longing for the group to enhance its capability is to acquire a fire truck and latest model of hydraulic jacks.
Activities and accomplishments
SFX TRABMOC volunteers have saved countless lives mostly during
vehicular accidents, medical emergencies, and calamities like floods,
landslide and fire.
The group is an accredited member of the Davao City Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council that authorizes the former to act as
first responder in search and rescue operations, in assisting Central
911 in giving first aid to vehicular accident victims and in responding
to floods, fire and landslide.
In a flash flood incident in February 2013 in Jade Valley, Davao
City, SFX TRABMOC assisted and rescued 2,000 residents. The group was
the first to arrive and the last to leave the area.
When super typhoon Pablo struck the region in December 2012, Arvin’s
team rushed to New Bataan, Compostela Valley where they retrieved 30
bodies and carried on foot to the poblacion, some 15 kilometers on foot.
They set up a headquarter with generator at hand, and stayed for
several days helping families locate their relatives and assisting the
government in the retrieval operations.
“It was really heart-wrenching seeing several dead people, and
witnessing how the living grieved over their dead loved ones,” Arvin
lamented.
Apart from the search and rescue capabilities, Arvin also provides
training and workshops for safety and rescue at the barangay level, in
institutions, schools, companies and government agencies as part of
their advocacy efforts to empower people and prepare them from any
disaster.
Challenges and aspirations
The challenge that still hovers around is how to inspire the youth to be on his league to volunteerism.
He said the young people today have so many diversions like shopping
malls, computer games, internet and gadgets that could veer them away
from engaging in more valuable and meaningful activities
Awards and recognition
Though he shies away from the limelight, his noble deeds of
volunteerism to save others’ lives emerge huge and bright as his heart’s
desire.
When in the middle of rescue operations, Arvin evades public
attention especially from the media, which keeps him grounded and
humble. A simple thank you would be enough gesture of appreciation from
those they have helped.
Unexpectedly in 2013, Arvin was finally recognized and honored with
an accolade that he truly deserved: he was placed in the ranks of
outstanding volunteers by the Philippine National Volunteer Service
Committee (PNSVA) in the Search for Outstanding Volunteers, for the best
practices he has employed and the values he has instilled with his
co-volunteers in their volunteering involvements,
With his passion and dedication to serve others in need, Arvin has
lived up to his name which means ‘friend of the people’ because of the
so many lives that he has saved and touched.
For all his deeds and noble desire done outside the spotlight and
public attention, Arvin may yet be another epitome of heroism and
altruism. (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)
