article 2/2:to violent acts. This public safety concern has become so enormous—as experienced by both developed and developing countries in different parts of the globe—that it has already been taken to the levels of national and international security by strategic state actors. The war against terror, which is led by the United States (US), enlists us to combat terrorism in the domestic scene and protect our citizens and communities from infestations of radicalism. As we do this, we should also provide a conducive environment where social grievances are addressed and not allowed to be aggravated, turning into conditions of extremism and violence.
 In retrospect, when I was the President of the Mindanao State University (MSU) a decade ago, we put forth the idea that running a system of public schools in conflict areas is a missionary work. The mission is to neutralize radicalism and violent extremism through
 education that empowers citizens and gives them self-determination, while at the same time, also teaches the youth duties and love of country. This is the most important antidote to terrorism especially in areas where government services are hardly felt and/or grievances are

 widespread. Under this condition, the alternative narratives of a radical group that promises salvation from a failing state and society are taken as real, unless we step in to counter extremist ideas with democratic and civic values. Our experience in the MSU can attest how education can be a strategic tool and soft power to neutralize conflict and transform communities without resorting to arms. This empirically-tested model is our continuing policy
 principle in the PPSC.
(3) On the third key area of maintaining order and keeping the peace in cities, communities and the countryside, this function of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the LGUs is complemented by community policing, citizen participation, and a criminal justice system, among others. At present, peacekeeping and even community building is the job delegated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under a security arrangement that would have to be gradually turned over to the PNP at a determined time, had there been a strategy for the homeland that rationalizes the use of state forces within the country.
Given this reality, this is thus an opportune time to advance a policy and a strategy of a broadened public safety for Philippine internal security that is attuned to the standards of a fully democratized governmental system in the world. In this ideal system, the military in modern democracies are kept from protracted peacekeeping operations in LGUs under a state of normalcy, and from the politics of local governance.
(4) On the fourth key area of responding to, mitigating, and managing disasters, emergencies, and pandemics, climate change makes this public safety function crucial for human survival. While the LGUs are at the frontline of disaster management, the safety and security of the people in a highly volatile and uncertain natural environment transcends the local, national, and even regional governance. The agenda setting on climate change and the policies needed to mitigate its disastrous effects on humankind has become a global concern that needs the functional cooperation of different states and non-state actors.
The non-traditional nature of the threats brought about by climate change, along with man-made disasters, requires a comprehensive strategy of an expanded public safety that connects to those of other countries and international organizations. In this regard, we need to modernize and train the public safety agencies in the Philippines to efficiently respond to disasters and emergencies in ways that are on par with international standards of operations.
(5) On the fifth key area of protecting cyber networks and other critical infrastructures, this public safety agenda is ultimately connected to the war against drugs, terrorism, and other illicit networks of crime. Other than the citizens as referents of human security, the critical infrastructures that we rely on to make our integral systems and assets working need to be effectively securitized. In this century when the world is functionally wired, the protection of our critical infrastructures is a vital and even a survival interest for the state, society, and people. Depending on its origin, perpetrators, motivation, and extent, cyber

attack is both a traditional and non-traditional threat with strategic impact on our security, economy, and public health. To counter this threat, a modernized public safety force must be highly technical and well equipped on information and communications technology applied in surveillance and cyber warfare.
Since the safety umbrella covers private industries that are vital to all aspects of our everyday living, the participation of and partnership with industries and non-state actors is an essential part of our smart strategy for an expanded public safety system in the country. Specifically, the critical infrastructures that are vulnerable to attacks are in the following sectors: government facilities; national defense; transportation, communications, and satellites; dams and water systems; economic and financial systems; electricity and energy; emergency services; healthcare and public health; commercial establishments; and, food and agriculture. It is not only the safety of the public that is being threatened by cyber attacks, but it is also the security of the state that is at stake.
(6) On the sixth key area of safeguarding the airports, seaports, coasts, and territorial seas, this safety and security procedure is the function of law enforcement agencies outside of the DILG. The war against drugs, terrorism, and rampant criminality is transnational and not confined to the interior. In this regard, the agencies that guard our borders and entry points, as well as enforce our laws within our territorial jurisdiction, are under the extended ambit of public safety and security. The Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Customs, and Bureau of Immigration, among others, are primarily responsible for this key concern.
How we effectively use our civilian state forces as central figures in safeguarding our homeland is the function of a well-crafted strategy. Without the appropriate mindset and ways to protect our vital interests, the indeterminate use of force to guard our seas, for instance, could result in miscommunicated intentions with strategic consequence in international relations. This is the case when, without a homeland strategy for the West Philippine Sea, the use of the navy—albeit short of projecting deterrence—is misconstrued as a military solution to conflict negotiations. Whereas, if a modernized coast guard is deployed to enforce the internationally-recognized law of the sea, this will be consistent with the Philippine stance of constructively engaging with China to settle disputes in the South China Sea The favorable decision of the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal is our leverage to guard our territorial sea as a regular exercise of police function.
It can be noted that the civilian character runs through the foregoing key areas in public safety and security. The conduct of operations in these areas, although strategic because of the nature of threats and conflicts in their midst, is democratic and rules based. Inside the homeland, the condition is not politically anarchic; there is law enforcement, justice administration, constitutional processes, and citizen’s participation. Public safety is the domain of public administration and governance with a strategic direction and worldview.
The Strategic Actors and Sectors
in the Broadened Public Safety System
The comprehensive agenda on public safety and security is greater than the jurisdictions of the police, the interior, and the local governments. With a holistic view and strategic outlook, we in the Philippine Public Safety College or PPSC frame public safety as an expanded multi-sectoral system, rather than just as an exclusive sector of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). In this system, the interrelated spheres of law and order, drug enforcement, anti-terrorism, community policing, local governance, criminal justice system, civil defense, border control, and other civilian security functions converge around the strategic goal of protecting the citizens and the homeland. This is the heart of the purposeful and dynamic interactions of various institutions that are into public order, safety, and security in a democratic society.
Critical to the advancement of an expanded public safety system is the need for training and education of millennial public safety leaders, policy research and development on this new track, and modernization and capacity building of civilian public safety agencies. This is where we position the PPSC as central to the advocacy for a strong and secure Filipino homeland.
The key areas that need to be worked out to safeguard the people and the homeland require deliberate coordination and integration of various efforts and voluminous tasks undertaken by government in a democratized public safety regime. There have been several task forces, committees, and councils set up in the past to address existential threats to public safety and human security. However, without a strategy and/or a strategic command that will tie all these together and provide direction, there is a tendency to lose focus on priority areas, waste limited resources, and not be accountable for decisions and actions done or not done.
Building on our earlier framework for a multi-sectoral coverage for Philippine public safety, we have identified four councils that serve as focal clusters that oversee key areas in this field. Specifically, these are the: (1) Anti-Terrorism Council; (2) National Peace and Order Council; (3) National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council; and (4) Justice Sector Coordinating Council. Understanding the mandates and constituents of these existing Councils helps in the formulation of a strategy on how different agencies can be effectively directed and coordinated in accomplishing key priorities in public safety and security.
(1) The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) is an offshoot of Republic Act No. 9372, otherwise known as the Human Security Act of 2007. The ATC is mandated to act as the lead agency and policy advisor on matters related to countering terrorism and violent extremism in the Philippines. As the strategic link to the international community, the ATC was designated as the Philippine National Authority on the Chemical Weapons Convention (PNA-CWC) as well as on other disarmament issues. With this, the ATC serves as the national coordinating body for effective liaison with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
(OPCW) and other State Parties to the Convention. The Council also acts as the lead agency in implementing the provisions agreed upon in the Convention.
The ATC is composed of the Executive Secretary as the Chair, and the Secretary of
Justice as Vice Chair. Its members include the Secretaries of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of National Defense (DND), DILG, Department of Finance (DOF), and the National Security Council (NSC). The support agencies of the ATC include the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC); and, Philippine National Police (PNP). The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) serves as ATC Secretariat.
In partnership with the ATC, the PPSC comes in as a platform for training and education, academic research, technical consultations, and convergence of efforts on policy development. Through the PPSC, the policies and programs on countering terrorism are

 effectively cascaded to constitutive units of the College that include the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), National Police College (NPC), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the National Police Training Institute (NPTI) and its 17 Regional Training Centers (RTCs) across the country. Special focus is also given to professional training of the BJMP personnel, through the National Jail Management
 and Penology Training Institute (NJMPTI), in handling accused and convicted terrorists.
(2) The National Peace and Order Council (NPOC), as chaired by the DILG Secretary, is responsible for providing inputs to policy and strategy making of the NSC on matters related to peace and order problems. The NPOC also coordinates and monitors peace and order problems in different levels or units of government, as well as provides a forum for inter-disciplinary dialogue and deliberation of major issues and problems affecting peace and order.
The NPOC is composed of the following cabinet members: the Director -General of the NSC the Executive Secretary, and the Secretaries of the DFA, DND, Department of
 Justice (DOJ), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).Other members are as follows: the Press Secretary; the Chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board; the Chairman of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples; the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process; the Director-General, Presidential Management Staff; the Director-General, Philippine Information Agency; the Chairperson of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission; the Chief of Staff of the AFP; the Chief of the PNP; and the Director of the NBI.
As part of its extension service, the PPSC conducted the Enhanced Community Immersion Program (ECIP) in order for the police, fire, and jail trainees to foster good relations with community members. This is to create force multipliers on crime prevention and public safety within the community under the principle that “crime is everybody’s concern and that public safety is a shared responsibility.” Moreover, the conduct of other civic programs—such as information campaign and training and seminars on crime and fire prevention, disaster preparedness, and welfare of women and children—has been very effective in creating public awareness on public safety and order in communities.
(3) The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has reference to Republic Act No. 10121 or the "Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010." The NDRRMC is an intergovernmental and whole-of-society approach that includes various agencies, non-government organizations, and the private sector in disaster management and emergency response. Using the United Nations (UN) cluster approach in disaster management, the NDRRMC serves as the country's focal group for the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), which is among our country’s international commitments.
  The NDRRMC is administered by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) under the DND as the Chair. The vice chairs are as follows: the DILG for disaster preparedness, the DSWD
 for disaster response, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for disaster prevention and mitigation, and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for disaster rehabilitation and recovery. The Council Members, on the other hand, include the following: Executive Secretary; Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process (OPAPP); Commission on Higher Education (CHED); AFP; PNP; Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), Leagues of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities, and Barangays; as well as civil society organizations and the private sector.
On the part of the DILG, it set up “Operation Listo” that is the disaster risk reduction management collaborative program on disaster preparedness. This national advocacy program aims to strengthen the capacity and level of readiness of LGUs and DILG personnel before, during, and after a disaster. The PPSC is working with the Local Government Academy (LGA) and the OCD for the conduct of training on Incident Command System (ICS), community- based disaster risk management plan, and simulation exercises or drills.
(4) The Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) is composed of senior representatives and relevant attached agencies from the Supreme Court (SC), DOJ, and DILG. The Council deliberates, coordinates, and monitors policy implementation in the justice sector. The JSCC serves as a forum for policy dialogues on issues of common interest, and also as a mechanism for effective coordination and sharing of information.
 Notably, the PPSC is part of the technical working group (TWG) on Processes and
 Capacity Building of the JSCC. The TWG coordinates with the European Union-Philippines Justice Support (EPJUST) Programme II, Supreme Court, DOJ, DILG, and PNP Crime Laboratory. The PPSC spearheaded the conduct of the forensic training for judges,
 prosecutors, lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), and police officers. During the training they were introduced to the scientific processes involved in criminal investigation that
 would increase the efficiency, reliability, and efficacy of justice administration.
In view of the foregoing, we can see that the mandates and memberships of the fourCouncils comprise the roles and functions of public safety and security that is multi-sectoral, consultative, and participative under a rules-based democratic system. Its expanded characteristic, as well as overlapping functions, however, calls for a strategic focus and direction that is guided by well-defined national interests and national security strategy— the critical component of which is the safety and security of citizens in the homeland.

Conclusion
One of the many shifts in our paradigmatic thinking in the Philippine Public Safety College or PPSC is our outlook of developing and institutionalizing an integrated civilian public safety system within the country. Our frame of thinking, to note, is distinct from the military frame of national defense outside of our homeland. The policy advocacy that we set out two years ago for Philippine public safety administration is most relevant today as we gear up for substantive and structural changes in this new era of Philippine administration.
The magnitude of non-traditional security threats, along with traditional security concerns, is existential to our survival and success as a nation in these uncertain and vulnerable times. Given this condition, we need to come up with a national security strategy that stands on a safe, empowered, and resilient homeland. After mainstreaming public safety in a national security framework, we at the PPSC go deeper by defining the key areas under our constructed component of broadening public safety to secure the homeland.
In framing our homeland strategy, our goal for a peaceful and protected homeland must go hand in hand with the goals for strong domestic capacity and sustainable gains, effective governance, and stable democratic institutions. This is where the public safety sector connects to social and economic development efforts, constitutional reforms, and politico-administrative reconstruction.
The PPSC intends to take the lead in constructing an academic and pragmatic framework for homeland strategy through ideational constructions, policy discussions, strategic studies, training, and education. With this, we reaffirm our missionary work and ideological commitment as a higher educational institution at the heart of the multi-sectoral convergence of public safety institutions in the Philippines