DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – Over 2,000 students and youth from various schools, universities, and communities across Pangasinan gathered on Tuesday, November 19, to launch the Police Community Academy (PCA) at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen town.
The PCA, a program of the Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1), aims to strengthen community partnerships and promote collaborative efforts to maintain peace and order in the province.
It involves a comprehensive 30-day training program divided into academic and tactical phases.
The academic phase includes lectures, while the tactical phase focuses on practical demonstration and community engagement.
Youth ages 12 to 22 who are enrolled in senior high school, college students, and out-of-school youth are the target audience of this initiative.
This project aims to empower the youth in nation-building by strengthening their role in maintaining peace and order and helping create a better, more equitable society.
The goals of PCA include equipping young people with the tools, knowledge, and resources for active participation in community development, enhancing their leadership skills—particularly in communication, problem-solving, and decision-making—and fostering good citizenship and patriotism among the youth.
PBGEN Lou Evangelista, regional director of Police Regional Office 1, said the PCA is a program for the youth, as the future leaders of the country, to understand the discipline, order, and responsibility in maintaining peace within the community.
“Through this, we will strengthen the foundation of our society and nurture the youth to become role models for a new Philippines, a country that is united, hardworking, disciplined, and humane,” he said.
Individuals that successfully complete the training will be awarded a badge pin featuring the official “Bagwis” symbol.
This badge will serve as a credential for accessing various opportunities within government agencies, including internships with law enforcement, summer employment, skills training, and leadership development programs, thereby preparing them to become future leaders of the nation.
During the event, Atty. Ron Dale Castillo, who represented Governor Ramon Guico III, stated, “Gov. Ramon Guico not only believes that the youth are the hope of the nation, but Gov. Guico believes that the youth are the most important treasure of our nation. The youth are not just the hope of the nation tomorrow; the youth are the hope of the nation today because you are needed now.”
This initiative is strongly supported by various agencies, including the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission of Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Philippine Information Agency.
Additionally, law enforcement agencies and non-government organizations are also actively collaborating to ensure the success of this program, showing a collective effort of PRO1 and stakeholders in empowering youth in community development.
Janielyn Antonio, a fourth-year criminology student from Universidad de Dagupan, expressed her gratitude for holding such activities, stating, “We are very thankful because we were invited here; it helps a lot in expanding our knowledge and new opportunities to deepen our background in what can be done in the community before entering into becoming an officer if it happens.” (AMB/RPM/CBC/PIA Pangasinan)
