FROM being poorly-lit before, 50 households in Tondo, Manila are now using solar-powered lights, courtesy of the ongoing Revitalized-Pulis sa Barangay (R-PSB) program of the National Capital Region Police Office headed by Major General Edgar Alan O. Okubo, the Journal Group learned yesterday.

The installation of solar lights in Barangay 105 Helping, Tondo, Manila were made possible thru the effort of the Manila Police District R-PSB Team 1 which is being supervised by Major Ernani Mercado of the unit’s District Mobile Force Batttalion, said MPD director, Brigadier Gen. Andre P. Dizon.

Last Saturday, the MPD R-PSB Team 1 installed the solar lights that benefited 50 households in Bgy. 105 Helping with the help of local barangay officials led by chairperson Elenita Reyes.

The formerly poorly-illuminated neighborhood now boast of a solar light system that makes their place much safer at night and provides them the convenience they need in their day-to-day living.

The Tondo solar light installation is just one of the many unheard results of the NCRPO’s R-PSB program which aims to assist the barangays and other local government units in their effort to deliver honest-to-goodness government service to the people.

Named on Monday by Philippine National Police chief, General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. as the new PNP Director for Police-Community Relations, Maj. Gen. Okubo said this is consistent with the vision of the top cop to ensure a ‘much safer place to live, work and do business’ in support to the government’s nation-building programs.

“We will protect the delivery of basic services to the disadvantaged Filipinos in the hinterlands and to the urban poor to show that the PNP really serves with integrity and professionalism,” said Gen. Acorda.

The NCRPO director launched their R-PSB project which is aimed at not only intensifying police presence but in bringing real government service much closer to the Metro Manila community specifically the so-called ‘crime-prone areas.’

Thru the program, members of the five Metro Manila police districts and the NCRPO bring their presence in the streets round-the-clock and engage the cooperation and support of the citizenry in fighting criminality and terrorism

Shortly after Gen. Acorda took over as the 29th PNP chief last April 24, Maj. Gen. Okubo called for a stepped- implementation of their R-PSB program in the metropolis as part of their continuing effort to win back the trust and confidence of the public and win their fight versus terror and criminality.

As a result, presence of NCRPO R-PSB personnel patrolling heavily-populated poor communities in Metro Manil nowadays is now a common sight. The R-PSB men are being joined by barangay security officers or ‘tanod’ in their community engagement programs.

In full uniforms, the R-PSB teams are not only strengthening their anti-criminality patrols in these areas but are also talking with local residents and community leaders and barangay officials to know what they really want from the government.

The R-PSB personnel are also providing Metro Manila residents brief anti-crime prevention lectures and drug awareness seminars and educating the people on their basic rights under the Constitution.

The R-PSB project has also seen NRPO personnel organizing friendly basketball games in barangays, helping cement some public grounds, supporting many livelihood projects and feeding programs and even collecting soil to fill-up plant boxes of some public elementary and high schools in the metropolis.

Thru the program, Maj. Gen. Okubo said they are bringing their presence in the streets round-the-clock and at the same time engaging the cooperation and support of the citizenry in fighting criminality and terrorism.

The NCRPO has tapped the help of barangay officials in monitoring the peace and order situation in their respective areas.

At present, R-PSB teams from the Northern, Southern, Eastern, Quezon City and Manila Police Districts are busy engaging the public and are seeing to it that their immediate concerns specifically when it comes to peace and order will be immediately and fully addressed.

Maj. Gen. Okubo has asked his men to pursue other ‘out-of-the-box’ policing system in which they can solve various issues together with different stakeholders.

Among the most common problems being received by the R-PSB teams involve violation of local ordinances such as those pertaining to drinking in public, curfew violations, street fights and other forms of petty crimes.

The NCRPO director has ordered his officials to see to it that the complaints being sent to them will be addressed on time.

“Do not limit yourselves in police visibility and when patrolling, engage a particular family or children,” he said.

The member of Philippine National Police Academy ‘Tagapagpatupad’ Class of 1992 last March led the opening ceremony of the R-PSB course in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Initially, there were 240 participants from the five NCRPO districts and its Regional Mobile Force who were trained to be R-PSB officers in order to make them a vital cog in helping local government units bring real government service to the people specifically the ‘poorest of the poor.’

The undertaking aimed to assist LGUs in their efforts to provide good governance and deliver real government service to the public consistent with the PNP’s vision.

As ordered by the NCRPO chief, their R-PSB personnel are now immersing with the people of Metro Manila not to only to target terrorists and criminals but most importantly, to listen to their grievances and other concerns.

He launched the same project when he was still the PNP Special Action Force director wherein police commandos have partnered with different agencies and stakeholders to build small schools, farm-to-market roads, bridges and stairs, potable water systems, churches, and other worship areas, and even homes for the needy in far-flung areas in the country.

Under Okubo, the PNP-SAF has transformed into a unit with a real “heart for the poor” with commandos even teaching young kids living in far-flung areas basic English, Filipino, and Mathematics; aiding sick women and the elderly, transporting pregnant wives to the hospital, conducting free haircuts, circumcisions, and livelihood seminars and helping thousands of indigenous people get their certificate of birth registration.

“The R-PSB is a six-month immersion program. You need to understand the functions of our partner national agencies to address the issues and concerns of the community to do community or government services leaving behind the usual peace and law enforcement functions. We are going out of our confined box to serve with our hearts,” the official who was replaced as PNP-SAF director by his PNPA Class 1992 classmate, Maj. Gen. Rudolph B. Dimas said.

He also encouraged the participants to give their best service to the PNP and avoid being involved in any illegal activities. “Let’s serve this organization with pride and loyalty,” said the tough police official known for having a “heart for the poor.’

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon