The Philippine National Police (PNP) voiced strong support for a bill filed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to modernize and upgrade police camps nationwide.
The proposed Philippine National Police Camp Development Fund Act or Senate Bill 307 was discussed by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Monday.
It proposes an annual P5-billion fund over five years to modernize PNP camps and headquarters across the country.
The funding will cover essential facilities such as training areas, sports amenities, lodging, utilities, and security systems, as determined by the PNP Chief.
PCol Giovanni Caliao, head of the PNP Directorate for Logistics, praised the measure as a vital step toward improving police operations and personnel welfare.
“This development will not only enhance the morale and productivity of our uniformed personnel but also grants them with essential tools and resources needed to perform the duties with greater dedication and professionalism,” Caliao said.
National Police Commission (NPC) Commissioner Ralph Calinisan similarly lauded the proposal: “This bill will ensure that the PNP infrastructure needs will no longer be dependent on allocations but rather on a sustained and forward-looking plan.”
He added that modernized facilities would better prepare the PNP to address both domestic and international security challenges.
“I hope you use this goodwill that we are improving the camps…let us have the same priorities, my brothers and sisters in uniform, because this is for you, for our fellow citizens, and for our beloved country, the Philippines,” Cayetano said in his speech during the inauguration of a crime laboratory at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig last month.
The senator filed the bill on July 22, 2022. It remains pending at the committee level as of writing.