The Filipino people, especially in Metro Manila, appreciate the program of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to improve police visibility in the streets, which is why the crime rate is diminishing.
In a vlog released by Malacañang Palace on Sunday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was quoted as saying that the streets are now well-guarded by the PNP force, quoting some residents interviewed for the said content.
“We have started to deploy more police officers, we coined ‘Cops of the Beat.’ The feedback from our kababayans is good and malaki talaga ang kanilang naging kapanatagan because of the three-minute police response,” the President said.
A new emergency hotline will also be launched this July, according to Marcos Jr.
The "Cops on the Beat" program, launched last 30 May, aims to enhance police visibility and public trust, ensuring officers patrol communities and respond swiftly to incidents.
Metro Manila deployed 21,000 officers, Central Luzon mobilized 2,000 night patrollers, and 70,000 officers nationwide are stationed in high-density areas to deter crime and foster safety.
Marcos Jr. earlier extolled the PNP for reducing crime but urged them to remain disciplined, consistent, and visible to reinforce public confidence and make Filipinos feel secure.
When he assumed post, PNP Chief Nicolas Torre III unveiled a revolutionary initiative to make law enforcement more accessible and responsive to the public’s needs, promising a five-minute emergency response time through the 911 hotline.
The ambitious emergency response strategy was in response to the directive of President Marcos Jr.
Torre, in a press briefing in Malacañang last week, laid out the details of this revolutionary initiative. “Dial 911, kami ay darating sa loob ng limang minuto,” he assured the public.
Torre said this would reinforce the PNP’s commitment to swiftly responding to calls for help and signify a significant shift in how police engage with communities, prioritizing rapid responses over traditional methods.
The PNP, in an earlier statement, said the crime rate in Metro Manila decreased by 46 percent in the first 15 days of May.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said a total of 155 crime incidents were recorded from May 1 to 15, down from 287 incidents in the same period last year.
Food security
Meanwhile, the President also said in the vlog that more and more Filipinos are appreciative of the rollout of the P20-priced rice in the market and Kadiwa Centers of the Department of Agriculture.
Elderly Nacisa Dazon and Sylvia Narcisa in the vlog extolled the President Marcos Jr. administration for the P20 rice program, saying that this would aid poor families amid the still-high prices of premium rice in the wet markets.
The President said they had an inspection in the warehouses of the National Food Authority to check if there is an ample amount of rice stocks that would support the P20 rice program of the government.
“We can sustain the P20 rice program if magtutulungan ang lahat. Sisiguraduhin po natin na hindi mawawalan ng supply ng bigas ang ating mga kababayan,” according to Marcos Jr.
He also said that the government is on track in giving machinery to the National Irrigation Administration, part of its “Re-fleeting Program,” as irrigation is very vital to agriculture, especially in the segment of rice production.