THE Rizal Police Provincial Office has partnered with newly-elected barangay captains in launching a program to keep peace and order in the province round-the-clock, the Journal Group learned last Sunday.

At least 230 local government unit officials in the province participated in a Leadership Development Program conceptualized by the Rizal Provincial Police Office (PPO) headed by Colonel Felipe B. Maraggun with the support of Rizal Governor Nina Ricci Ynares-Chiongbian and Police Regional Office 4-A director Brigadier General Kenneth Paul T. Lucas.

The Rizal police earned the distinction of being the 1st to initiate the activity to empower their ‘frontline local chief executives’ as partners in combating criminal activities in the province.

As a result of the program, the Rizal police will be launching soon the Patrolya ng Bayan in which policemen assigned in barangays will be assisted by barangay peacekeeping officers or ‘tanod’ and councilmen or ‘kagawad’ in maintaining peace and order in their communities.

The leadership development seminar held at the Rizal provincial capitol compound in Antipolo City was part of the continuing push for community engagement by the Calabarzon police force in line with the 5-Focused Agenda of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr.

Maraggun initiated the leadership development program in order to develop the knowledge, skills and attitude of local barangay officials in the province and help strengthen their capacity to effectively address peace and order concerns in their areas in support of the police force.

“Through this program, we aim to empower all barangay chief executives in Rizal by promoting awareness on their mandates and important role as leaders in their respective community,” the official said.

He further explained they aim to promote synergy with other government agencies and stakeholders and turn them into ‘champions of excellence’ when it comes to delivering basic services to the people.

During the 2-day seminar, the participants underwent skills training on basic barangay services and good governance as well as emerging new issues and challenges on environment and other social concerns.

The barangay officials were also given lectures on gun safety, Republic Act 7610 or the anti-child abuse law, RA 9262 or the anti-violence against women and their children act, the Katarungang Pambarangay Law, cybercrime awareness, basic life support, traffic rules and management, the roles and responsibility of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, explosive and ordnance awareness and other related topics.

The Rizal PPO’s Provincial Human Resource and Doctrine Development Division supervised the conduct of the training after the program was officially opened.

Col. Maraggun got ample help from his officials led by Lieutenant Colonels Norman T. Rañon and Vicente Gil R. Palma during the seminar.

Guests during the program opening include PRO4-A Deputy Regional Director for Operations, Col. Roel C. Rodolfo and Department of Interior and Local Government Rizal director Lionel L. Dalope.

The Rizal PPO project is expected to help local barangay units in the province get good grades from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) headed by Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos Jr.

In 2022, the DILG launched the Seal of Good Local Governance for Barangay which was described as a progressive assessment system that gives distinction to the remarkable performance of barangays in various governance areas, putting primacy integrity and good performance in pursuit of meaningful local autonomy and development.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon