WHILE cities across Western Visayas glow with festive lights and families gather around their Noche Buena tables, a quieter story unfolds in police stations, detachments, and remote posts tucked deep in the region’s mountains. It is the story of men in uniform — fathers, sons, brothers — who spend the holiday season far from home, choosing duty over celebration, and peacekeeping over personal comfort.
For many law enforcement officers, Christmas does not mean a break; it means heightened alertness. It means serving, watching, and responding — so that others can celebrate safely with the people they love.
Christmas in uniform: Capt. Ryan Christ Inot’s 5th year away from home
At the Molo Police Station in Iloilo City, Police Captain Ryan Christ Inot, officer-in-charge chief and a native of Cebu, prepares for yet another Christmas spent on duty. In his five years of service with the Philippine National Police, he has never once gone home to celebrate the holidays with his family.
“Yung five years na ‘yan dito po talaga ako nagpa-Pasko at nag-New Year sa assignment ko. Wala pong time na makauwi… kasi ‘pag ganitong event, red alert po kami. Dito lang po kami sa station,” he shared.
While many households ring in the season with music, laughter, and complete attendance, Inot’s Decembers have transformed from family-centered celebrations into hours of ensuring the safety of others. His family remains in Cebu — close in spirit, but miles away in distance.
The loneliness comes in waves.
“Unang-una, malungkot kasi nakikita mo yung iba nag-e-enjoy, nagce-celebrate na kumpleto. Dati, buong taon kaming magkakasama. Ngayon… nagbago na dahil may trabaho na tayo. Para bang pagmamay-ari na tayo ng gobyerno,” he said.
Yet his acceptance is steady, grounded in a sense of duty that transcends personal desires.
“Mas uunahin namin yung pagsisilbi sa bayan kaysa sa pamilya namin na makasama namin sa ganitong season,” he added.
Technology softens the distance. During Christmas and New Year, Inot and his fellow officers squeeze in moments to call home.
“Tumatawag kami, nagvi-video call. Nakikita namin yung handa nila kahit nasa camera lang kami. Ang importante, ramdam nila na kasama pa rin nila kami,” he shared.
When asked about his Christmas wish, his answer reflects humility and hope:
“Good health para sa pamilya ko, para sa akin. Para makapagsilbi pa kami. Sana peaceful ang celebration ng Christmas at New Year.”
For him, health, safety, and peace are blessings far more treasured than any wrapped gift.
In the mountains of Western Visayas: 1LT John Alexis Yap on purpose beyond distance
Far from city lights, amid the rugged terrains of Western Visayas, 1st Lieutenant John Alexis D. Yap, Civil Military Operations Officer of the 61st Infantry Battalion, prepares for another year of service away from home.
A Caviteño, Yap entered the Philippine Army in 2019 and has now spent six years in uniform — five of which include holidays apart from his family.
“At times, it becomes one of the most difficult feelings anyone could experience,” he admitted, reflecting on missed dinners, empty seats at gatherings, and memories he could only witness through photos or calls. “But looking at it differently, I get to spend those same holidays serving the people I took an oath to protect. And in its own way, that is deeply fulfilling.”
Unlike many, Yap’s Christmases are woven not with ribbons and lanterns but with operations and monitoring. December 26, the founding anniversary of the communist terrorist group (CTG), is historically sensitive.
“During the Yuletide season, our unit usually conducts combat operations. We ensure they are denied any opportunity to conduct atrocities or recover influence,” he explained.
While families celebrate, these soldiers watch the forests, guard communities, and move silently through unfamiliar paths to keep others safe.
Yet even amid duty’s demands, Yap’s wishes remain profoundly human:
“My wish for myself is that I never lose the sense of fulfillment I get from serving… And for my family, even if I’ll be far from home this Christmas, I hope they always keep me in their hearts. No distance can weaken the bond we share.”
A Christmas most will never see
Across Western Visayas, the holiday season for police officers and soldiers unfolds differently: instead of attending Simbang Gabi, they patrol crowded churches; instead of preparing Noche Buena, they check foot traffic in malls and terminals; instead of waiting for midnight fireworks with their children, they respond to emergency calls; and instead of posing for family photos, they show up in video calls — smiling through pixelated screens.
It is the kind of Christmas most Filipinos will never experience, yet one that makes all other celebrations possible.
Every merry gathering, every well-attended mass, every safe walk home during the holidays — the peace that surrounds them is often the work of men and women who spend the season apart from the people they love most.
For love of country, for love of family
For officers like Capt. Inot and 1LT Yap, the sting of distance is softened by purpose. The country becomes their extended family; the people they serve become part of the reason they keep going.
Their sacrifices — quiet, unseen, and often uncelebrated — become acts of love on a national scale.
And while they spend the holidays under flashing patrol lights or the fading glow of a lantern in a detachment, one truth remains: their service allows countless families to celebrate together in peace.
This Christmas, the Western Visayas sky may shine bright with festive lights, but it is the courage of these men in uniform — serving far from home — that makes the season truly luminous./PN
