As we celebrate Women’s Month this March, let’s meet Mrs. Mary Rose Marbil, the Batangueña wife of PNP Chief Rommel Marbil and founder/adviser of the PNP OLC Foundation.
Being the wife of the Chief PNP, she is automatically designated as the adviser of the PNP Officers’ Ladies Club – a group composed of the wives of PNP officials. Mrs. Marbil then transformed the organization into a foundation dedicated to supporting both uniformed and non-uniformed PNP personnel and their families, providing various forms of assistance, from medical support to financial aid. One of their latest initiatives is a D.I.Y. soap-making livelihood program, recently launched in Cebu.
In the past, Mrs. Marbil already toyed with the idea of a start-up soap/ cleaning aid business, collaborating with Kalikhasan-an eco-friendly line of organic soaps, shampoos, and house cleaning materials. Although she dropped out of the potential partnership, the experience was certainly valuable in the conceptualization of OLC Foundation’s soap-making program.
The OLC Foundation started to host workshops on how to make various types of liquid soaps-from hand wash to laundry detergents, coming from locally-sourced raw materials. Marbil adds, “We all use soaps, and we keep buying the ones in plastic bottles or wasteful packaging, but the process of making it is mabilis lang, even without the use of commercial machinery.
Because it can also be a source of livelihood for [people]. And then at the same time, environmentally, it’s good because they can start refilling stations.
From soap-making programs to zero-waste initiatives, Mary Rose Marbil shows that environmental advocacies are not just all talk, it can also change communities-showing a clear image of what the future of the environment can be.
For Mrs. Marbil, the initiative sheds hope on how to successfully lessen waste. “If it’s successful, we’ll expand to other regions.”
Since its inception, the Foundation has received generous support from many Good Samaritans, enabling them to provide vital assistance, particularly to PNP personnel battling cancer.
Mrs. Marbil also revealed that their latest records indicate nearly 300 PNP uniformed personnel battling cancer, with some in critical stages of the disease.
The Foundation was able to raise P5.2 million as a result of the Singing Cops of the Philippines’ program participated in by all 17 police regional offices this year. Another P1 million was also raised by the group as a result of their Harmony for Heroes’ concert for a cause featuring famous singer Dulce and other artists at the Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan City.
Balancing her roles as the wife of the PNP chief, a mother to a young daughter, and a dedicated office worker, Mrs. Marbil shares that their Foundation is built to thrive even after their time in the force.
Happy International Women’s Day!!!
