To spread the best practices of the Revitalized-Pulis sa Barangay of Police Regional Office in region XI, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año recently issued a directive to implement the same nationwide.
Año’s directive came after PNP XI director PBGen Filmore B. Escobal presented the concept before the SILG and other senior officials from PNP and AFP at Camp Crame, Quezon City on November 10, 2021.
The SILG has designated the initiative as a “Masterpiece Dish” that will help President Rodrigo Duterte achieve his goal of ending local communist armed conflict before the close of his term. He expressed his appreciation to PBGen Filmore Escobal for designing and implementing the program, which he believes is a good project and concept.
Based on the directive, the RPSB be integrated into other existing Philippine National Police initiatives, and that the PRO 11’s R-PSB is accepted and applied countrywide.
He recognized the PNP’s important role in the community’s welfare, advancement, and development, in addition to its primary responsibility of securing the community and maintaining peace and order.
With the foregoing in mind, Escobal appreciates the recognition given to PRO 11’s flagship program, which is getting momentum through the active support and participation of other peacekeeping forces, respective Local Government Units, stakeholders, and private individuals who are experiencing the project’s positive impact since its launch in January 2020.
The PNP regional director believes, that implementing this project nationwide would hasten the government’s efforts to end the Local Communist Armed Conflict by stymieing terrorist groups’ recruitment activities and resulting in the surrender of their members as a result of the PNP’s actual delivery of government services to people in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Escobal hopes that, like PRO 11, the entire country will reap the benefits of R-PSB services and development programs for individuals living in GIDAS barangays.
In consequence, the PNP believes that it will win the public’s trust and confidence by serving as an image-building tool for the organization.
Reaping some gains
During the 29th Police Community Affairs and Development Group Anniversary and 26th Police Community Relations Month Culminating Ceremony held in PNP National Headquarters, Camp Crame, Quezon City on Thursday, the Regional Police’s Revitalized-Police Sa Barangay (R-PSB) program was also given a “sterling” award (July 29).
The award was given in recognition of the R-PSB’s milestone in gaining the trust of the communities in the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Barangays by delivering government services to them, according to Brigadier General Filmore Escobal, the director of the Police Regional Police Office (PRO 11), who received the award.
The R-PSB assisted communities in constructing water supply systems, schools, and other projects in far-flung barangays. Unfortunately, some of these villages did not receive government services, he noted.
PRO 11’s initiatives, which include “Patubig & Pailaw sa Barangay,” 22 road constructions, and the conduct of various community outreach events, were also recognized by the PNP chief as contributing to the government’s inclusive peace and development efforts through the operation of R-PSB.
The initiative also contributes to the National Task Force on Local Communism and Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) goal of ending local communism and armed conflict.
The police officer also serves as the focal person and will monitor the peace and order situation in the barangay on a 24-hour-per-day basis.
Through dialogues, meetings, pulong-pulong, house-to-house visits, and crime prevention and safety awareness lectures, they connect with the community and barangay officials.
The R-PSB is also responsible for identifying peace and other public safety issues, such as common crimes, drug problems, health issues, and disaster-prone communities.
In the event of an emergency or tragedy, they also give immediate police help.
In an earlier interview, Escobal stated that the R-PSB program is gradually putting a stop to the insurgency by bringing government services to people’s doorsteps, including the farthest barangays in the region.
“People used to see police personnel with handguns during police operations, they look at the police as a disciplinarian who comes in when a crime is committed. But now, they are working with the police, they share their miseries, they see the police as partners in community development, there is a paradigm shift and people are working together regardless of profession,” Escobal added.
The latest gain of the RPSB was the surrender of 37 New People’s Army combatants in the hinterlands of Purok 9 Sandunan, Sitio Turuyan, Brgy. Tamugan, Marilog District.
Bai Aida Sandunan Seisa who used to lead a group of 37 rebels in the mountains of Davao City said “At first, I thought, the RPSB was just a propaganda of the government, pictures, talks and then small help, but I slowly realized, the community support is genuine and long lasting, so, I decided to bring my group to Lt. Magno of RPSB to surrender.”
Police Lt. Carlo Magno told Newsline “The task of the RPSB is more than community building, it is more of how we win the trust of the community who were previously denied of the basic services, winning their hearts means being honest in dealing with them.”
Last week, Seisa’s group was given 20,000 coconut trees through the help of the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office (PSCO).
Royina Garma, the PCSO general manager said “I am so happy that the corporate social responsibility of our agency reaches the sector who need our intervention and I am hoping that this will help our people to be self-reliant in their communities.”
“In RPSB, it is a Bayanihan, a community effort, everyone is a stakeholder because we are one people,” Escobal added.
Critics of the administration might see the RPSB effort as a tool in winning the hearts of the people to insurgency, but for the people in the countryside like Bai Aida, the RPSB is a vehicle for their socio-cultural and economic development-the new face of the PNP in Davao region.-Editha Z. Caduaya
