South Cotabato, Philippines — In an effort to enhance public safety and disaster preparedness, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, under the leadership of Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr., deployed 200 newly appointed disaster responders and auxiliary police across the province.
During the Gov Meets the Press on Monday, Governor Tamayo stated that most of the new personnel are criminology graduates specifically employed to oversee and manage volunteer auxiliary police and disaster responders at the community level.
Each barangay will have one criminology graduate responsible for monitoring the auxiliary police and five disaster responders assigned to every purok. These graduates have expertise in police work, legal matters, and disaster response, to ensure proper management and effective operations at the grassroots level.
“Dapat may mag manage na knowledgeable sa police work, legal matters, kag pag responde sa mga disaster,” Governor Tamayo emphasized. “Amo nga nag hire kita sang criminology graduates nga mag monitor sa ila.”
The new setup aims to provide additional protection in improving disaster response and enhancing security in every barangay. These responders and auxiliary police are intended to strengthen the existing security forces, with the criminology graduates ensuring operational efficiency.
Governor Tamayo highlighted that this initiative is a proactive step toward safeguarding the welfare of South Cotabateños. The program also emphasizes collaboration at the purok level, where volunteers receive a modest honorarium of PHP 500 per purok as they dedicate their services to the community.
By empowering communities with skilled personnel and fostering a sense of responsibility, South Cotabato advocates for strengthening local governance and disaster management while offering employment opportunities to its residents.
