Born and raised in Malaysia, Villenguez has been volunteering selflessly in the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) since 2011.

“I can’t help with funds as I don’t have much financially, but the best I can do is offer my services to society,” said Villenguez.

Last year’s lockdown proved to be especially challenging for APM in Penang as the entire team risked contracting the virus while attending to distress calls.

“From Batu Ferringhi right down to Batu Uban, two other squad members and I delivered food to 16 families, from 8am till late night, non-stop,” he said, adding that the only breaks they had were between stops.

From rushing injured elderly folks to hospitals to taming 2.7-metre-long snakes, Villenguez and his team were constantly attending to emergencies as well, even helping out at quarantine bays teeming with Malaysians returning from overseas.

These are just some of the duties that APM personnel get up to and as a Corporal, Villenguez leads his Bravo Squad on all their missions.

From 1987 to 1992, Villenguez worked in Singapore as a restaurant manager before taking up a job at The Andaman Hotel Langkawi where he thrived in the serenity of island life and nature.

He then dabbled in the wine industry and sourced for wines from all around the world, travelling to France and Australia in the course of his work. But after a few years, Villenguez took a break as the excessive travelling had taken its toll on his family life.

On one fateful day during his break, a routine trip to Penang’s Tesco E-Gate would see Villenguez leave with more than just groceries.

“I was shopping with my family in Tesco and there was a recruitment kiosk at Tesco E-Gate,” Villenguez said, as he vividly recalled APM’s recruitment posters.

“One of the recruiters approached me with a brochure and asked if I would like to join as a volunteer. After browsing through it, I was sold.”

After three days of intensive training, Villenguez earned his badge and was immediately deployed to his station. Now, a decade later, Villenguez has lost count of the lives he’s saved.

“In my 10 years of service I have worked on three landslides with fatalities, one was in Lembah Permai and I was one of the first responders who retrieved a corpse,” he said, recalling the 2017 nightmare that killed 11 people.

“During one of the landslides, I had to work non-stop for 22 hours as there was a lack of manpower and we had to quickly search for survivors.”

Villenguez also patrols the sea, as search-and-rescue missions occur when people attempt suicide off Penang Bridge, with the most recent case occurring just two weeks ago.

His hectic schedule allows him to rest only on Sundays, that is if there are no emergencies.

Although the corporal has served loyally for a decade, it’s shocking to learn that APM volunteers are only paid a mere RM8 an hour.

“As volunteers, we only get allowance and insurance coverage. However, I chose to remain a volunteer as being a permanent worker would mean being posted to different stations throughout the country,” he said, adding that his family mattered more than anything else and he would never want to leave their side.

Sadly, as cases continue to hit an all time high in Malaysia, Villenguez is just one of many frontliners who also risk the lives of their families while working through the pandemic.

“It’s the first thing on my mind, that I could be a carrier and transmit Covid-19 to my family,” Villenguez said, expressing his concerns of infecting his wife, two kids and 78-year-old mother.

“But I’ve worked out a system; whenever I come home, I will remove all my gear and uniform and immediately dump it in the washing machine that’s now outside.”

But even after a well-deserved shower and sanitising, he still keeps a distance from his family, a sacrifice that other frontliners also make. Is it worth it?

“The best satisfaction is when someone says ‘thank you’ for your services or their eyes swell up with tears of gratitude,” said Villenguez, citing these as the motivation to put his life on the line.

While unsung heroes like Villenguez continue to soldier on for the safety of all, seeing the masses disobey SOPs and gather in huge crowds, deeply hurts the frontliner.

“I feel really sad. We need everyone to be more responsible about adhering to SOPs,” Villenguez said, stressing that the pandemic was also costing the livelihoods and jobs of many.

As he and many others like him continue to serve Malaysians daily, his parting note rings true.

“Only we can help each other to fight this pandemic. So, make sure to follow the SOPs, stay vigilant and don’t give up the fight.”