By Jel Santos

The local government of Marikina City and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the “Safe Philippines Project.”

The project seeks to diminish crime rate and improve emergency response time through modern technology.

Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro and DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo Florece Jr. signed the MOA on Wednesday afternoon.

According to DILG, Marikina City will be the first city in Metro Manila to benchmark “Safe Philippines Project.”

The “Safe Philippines Project” is expected to reduce crime rate by 15 percent and improve emergency response time by 20 percent by using modern information and communications technology.

Under the agreement, the DILG to aims to provide a bedrock strategy by introducing a smart solution and system integration to combat crime, emergency management and disaster mitigation in order to make people safe.

DILG said China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation (CITCC), the contractor of the project, will provide a camera surveillance system for the “efficient management of public order, security and safety” in the country.

The project will use high definition IP surveillance cameras, intelligent video analytics such as facial and plate recognition; video content search and synopsis; integrated critical communication system.

DILG said Marikina City will receive the following equipment: command center for its Rescue 161, Office of Public Safety and Security, PNP, BFP, equipped with dedicated computer with access to computer-aided dispatch system, digital information display (video wall), conference room equipped with high definition teleconference endpoint, 234 high definition IP cameras, 300 digital radio handset dedicated to public safety, and 12 units of one-key emergency button devices.

To protect the system, DILG said it will install firewalls to protect the system from hackers and other threats.

The budget for this project will be sourced from the national project.

Teodoro said the closed-circuit television (CCTVs) cameras that will be installed in their city will make Marikina safer.

“This will provide us a sort of panopticon principle, that even if no one is watching, there are these CCTVs installed in the city. The panopticon principle will always seem to be under a constant risk,” he said.

“It is as if you were inside the Bilibid prison, and the watchtower is in the middle, prisoners see it knowing that they are being watched. In their minds, they are always being watched so they behave well, that is part of discipline. The idea of the panopticon principle is that it is always under constant risk,” Teodoro explained.

The mayor thanked the DILG for giving them a very clear framework on how to daily provide a safe community, vowing to “cultivate, harness, nurture of go beyond what is written beyond the MOA” the system and all its equipment.

The “Safe Philippines Phase I” is a joint project between the Philippine government and People’s Republic of China.

Under phase 1 of the Safe Philippines Project, the DILG will provide 18 local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila and Davao City with integrated operations and command centers and a remote back-up data center.

Other officials present during the MOA signing were DILG Assistant Secretary Manuel B. Felix, DILG-Marikina City Director Girlie Zara, Acting City Administrator Janet Obispo, BFP-Marikina City chief Supt. Jose Callos, City DRRMO head Dave David, and Acting Chief-of -staff Princess Feliciano.