POLICE POWER

The government will continue to exert efforts in building the capabilities of public safety institutions to
respond to all hazards, including pandemics, that pose risks to the safety of the people. This will include
interventions in preventing the spread of radicalization resulting in violent extremism. The following
strategies will be implemented to raise the standards for public safety.

Increase police presence and professionalize police ranks

-Efforts to enhance police presence to maintain peace and order is primordial. The government
will pursue the construction of additional police stations in every community to further strengthen and
expand their presence. Being at the frontline of the pandemic and other crisis situations, the police force
will be equipped with adequate logistical support for its operations and be provided with sufficient PPE.

Strengthen the partnership between law enforcement agencies, local peace and order institutions, and
communities

-LGUs will continuously strengthen local peace and order institutions to effectively address
criminality and illegal drugs within communities. Maintaining peace and order and discipline in
communities is of utmost importance as quarantine restrictions adversely affect the economy and
people’s livelihood and income. To this end, the government will capacitate LGU officials, especially
those at the barangay level, as force multipliers and frontliners in the fight against COVID-19. Capacity-
building interventions will include developing protocols on checkpoints and enforcement of community
quarantine guidelines.

Sustain and expand systems for responding to crime and emergencies.

-The implementation of the 911 Emergency Hotline Service, which serves as the direct access of
the people to the government, will be sustained. The DILG will expand its coverage to better serve and
respond to emergencies in the countryside. Moreover, training programs for telecommunicators and
responders will be provided.

Improve the capability for fire protection services.

Capability of the BFP to safeguard life and property, as well as the country’s vital and critical
infrastructure, will be strengthened. This includes fast-tracking the modernization of fire protection
services and the implementation of the BFP service upgrade and capability upgrade programs.

Establish a secure and resilient Philippine cyberspace

 -The strategic initiatives of the NCSP will include enhancing security resilience of critical
information infrastructure, and government, public, and military networks to deal with sophisticated
attacks, promoting the adoption of cybersecurity measures among individuals and businesses, and
enhancing and expanding the pool of local cybersecurity experts.

Reducing all forms of criminality and illegal drugs

The government remains committed to its campaign against all forms of criminality and illegal drugs.
Likewise, the government recognizes the need to address the spread of radicalization and violent
extremism that leads to terrorism, transnational crimes, and other non-traditional threats that pose
risks to public safety. The conduct of law enforcement operations will need to consider new challenges
brought about by the current pandemic. The following strategies will be pursued.

Sustain the intensified law enforcement operations, including military support, to fight criminality,
trafficking, and terrorism.

The PNP will sustain its efforts in reducing all forms of criminality and intensified crime prevention
measures even amidst the pandemic. This will involve updating of existing and/or developing new
policies, manuals, and procedures to ensure compliance with pertinent laws and human rights
standards, particularly on crime investigations including those for missing persons, case documentation
and filing, and harmonization of inter-agency procedures. Coordination between law enforcers and
military, especially during conduct of operations, will also be enhanced.

EMINENT DOMAIN

Best practices can help governments invest in

infrastructure that expands the economy and better
serves the public.
Gains from infrastructure are fully realized, however, only when projects generate tangible public
benefits. Unfortunately, many governments find it difficult to select the right projects—those with the
most benefit. Furthermore, infrastructure can provide social and economic advantages only when the
capital and operating costs can be financed sustainably, either by the revenues a project generates or by
the government sponsor.
Our framework includes four key best practices to help modernize decision making for infrastructure
and to improve its social and economic impact. Each step is enabled by and contributes to a consistent,
fact-based process for identifying and executing infrastructure projects. 

Develop projects with tangible, quantifiable benefits

-For example, a national government may prioritize capital investment in a new port because it
would provide a convenient transshipment point for trade with a politically aligned country, even if the
project has a weak economic rationale. Or a government may invest in a new road project to address
congestion in a district that’s important in elections.

To achieve this goal, governments should base the selection of projects on reliable data and analytics,
robust financial models, and designs that meet the needs of citizens.

 -improvements in the residents’ quality of life, such as reducing road congestion by building a
new express lane so that drivers have more time to spend with their families and communities

 social and health benefits—for example, the number of citizens who have access to healthcare
facilities within a reasonable distance

The goal is to establish a pipeline of high-quality projects—with clear metrics supporting their
contribution to social and economic growth—and to do so in a transparent, repeatable manner.

Engage and align community stakeholders to promote inclusive economic and social benefits

-Governments should consider the effects of infrastructure investments on social equity to ensure that
the potential economic benefits are inclusive. It’s important to consider whether investments support a
geographically and demographically diverse range of residents—for example, across income levels,
urban and rural areas, and racial and ethnic lines. 

-A critical means of ensuring more inclusive benefits from infrastructure is to engage with the public, the
private sector, and civil-society stakeholders on its design and implementation. Governments can use
public consultations to share information (including the results of economic-, environmental-, and
social-impact studies) and solicit feedback on potential projects. That will increase not only the public’s
satisfaction with the infrastructure projects ultimately selected but also the likelihood of equitable
outcomes.

TAXATION

4. -Find new sources of revenue

Property taxes, excise taxes, and carbon taxes are a potentially significant source of revenue in low-
income countries—because they apply primarily to wealthier households. They can also deter unwanted
behaviors, such as driving cars in already congested areas, smoking, or consuming unhealthy foods.