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Fifteen-year-old Rexel Joaquin Codilla Mangliwan, never expected that a family gathering would become the first real test of everything he had learned as a Boy Scout.
When a man was pulled unconscious from a swimming pool at a resort in Kabacan, Cotabato, panic quickly took over. While others searched for help, the Grade 11 student of the University Laboratory School (ULS) of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) relied on his Basic Life Support training and immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
His quick response helped revive the drowning victim, turning the Boy Scouts of the Philippines’ motto, “Laging Handa,” into action when it mattered most.
According to him, the incident happened on July 12 at La Florencia Family Resort at Upper Paatan, Kabacan, Cotabato where his family attended his uncle’s birthday celebration after a church service. As they were having lunch beside the pool, one of his uncle’s workers spotted his co-worker, Tommy, floating face down in the water.
He narrated that the victim was immediately pulled out of the pool and laid on the ground. He was unconscious, not breathing, and his lips had already turned pale.
Rexel said: “I was nervous at first, but I suddenly remembered our Emergency Service Training Course and the CPR training.”
Knowing every second mattered, Rexel approached the victim, checked for breathing and a pulse, and found neither. He immediately began CPR while asking his mother to call 911. He also instructed those around him not to move the victim while he continued the life-saving procedure and waited for trained responders to arrive.
For nearly three minutes, he continued chest compressions.
“The hardest part was when he was still unconscious even after I had already performed CPR several times,” he said. “I was already exhausted, but I did not stop.”
His determination paid off. Moments later, Tommy expelled the water he had swallowed, regained consciousness, and began breathing again.
For Rexel, however, the rescue was never about becoming a hero.
“I am very thankful that God made me an instrument to save someone’s life,” he shared. “Being called a hero is just a bonus. The important thing for me is that Kuya Tommy is alive.”
Rexel has been a member of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines for four years. He joined the organization to learn practical skills, develop leadership, and prepare himself to help others in times of need. Encouraged by his parents and inspired by his dream of becoming part of the ULS Square Knot Circle, he embraced every opportunity to train and serve.
Although he had practiced CPR before, this was the first time he applied it in an actual emergency.
“There was a moment when I thought I might not be able to save him because it was my first real experience,” he admitted. “But I kept telling myself not to give up. I would continue until Kuya Tommy was revived.”
The experience also changed the way he sees the value of preparation.
What he learned during training was no longer confined to demonstrations and exercises. It became the reason he stayed calm and the reason he responded when a life depended on it.
Today, Rexel hopes more young people will learn skills that can help others and find the courage to use them when the opportunity comes.
“Let us be courageous and use our skills to help people in need,” he said. “Recognition is just a bonus. What matters most is that you were able to help someone.”
For many, July 12 will be remembered as the day a drowning victim survived.
For one young Scout, it was the day the words “Laging Handa” became more than a motto—it became a responsibility fulfilled when someone needed it most.
