Community mobilisation is at the heart of crime prevention in the Philippines – but what does it look like in practice? Dr Iain Britton speaks with Merari Payay, a former police officer and now assistant professor at Laguna State Polytechnic University, about how police, local government and residents work together at barangay (village) level.
Merari shares findings from his research in Laguna province, highlighting both the strengths and the challenges of this model – from empowering volunteer barangay tanods to the heavy bureaucratic and resource pressures on frontline officers. Their conversation offers practical lessons for police leaders and researchers worldwide on partnership working, outsourcing support and tailoring community mobilisation to local culture.
Takeaways
- Crime prevention is treated as a shared responsibility of police and community.
- Mobilisation happens at barangay (village) level through organised resident clusters.
- Police run short immersion programmes to profile needs and deliver training.
- Some areas mobilised are already safe, driven by targets not crime need.
- Heavy paperwork and certification demands pull officers away from the field.
- Patchy support from local government weakens programme impact.
- Barangay tanods act as key civilian auxiliaries for local peace and order.
- Outsourcing speakers, funds and resources helps fill policing gaps.
- Regular, evidence-based review is vital to avoid long-running but ineffective schemes.
- Successful mobilisation must fit local culture and can benefit from digital and hybrid tools
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction & Merari’s Journey
01:30 – What Community Mobilisation Looks Like in the Philippines
04:00 – Who Gets Mobilised and How Communities Are Organised
06:30 – Research in Laguna: Methods & Key Findings
10:00 – Tackling Challenges: Partners, Paperwork and Resources
14:30 – Barangay Tanods as Community Force Multipliers
18:00 – Lessons for the World & Future Research
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