Maintaining a Safer Community: Experiences of Public Safety and Security Administrators in Biliran, Philippines

Public safety and security management is the systematic technique agencies and organizations use to guarantee public safety and well-being. Managing public safety and security is a crucial job of law enforcement and government agencies, therefore, this study was conducted to explore the participants' experiences, strategies, and aspirations in managing public safety and security in Biliran Province, Philippines. Employing qualitative-phenomenological method, an interview guide was utilized to extract the needed information through individual interviews with the provincial director, chief of police, fire marshals, and municipal disaster risk reduction and management officers. Using Collaizi approach, the data were analyzed to form themes that described the current phenomena being studied. The thematic analyses revealed the positive experiences of the informants, such as work dedication and commitment, a sense of responsibility, love, and passion for work, good decision-making, prioritizing public safety, and proactive and visionary leadership. In contrast, their negative experiences are irresponsible and disobedient community members, limited resources, and negative public perception. However, work integrity and accountability, coordination and collaboration of government agencies, programs, and operation plan implementation, community empowerment in public safety, capacitating the local peacekeepers, creation of peace and order, and disaster council, open-minded public servant, and work efficiency and urgency are the strategies employed by the administrators in addressing challenges and physically and mentally prepared personnel, public support and cooperation, and agency’s modernization are the aspirations of the administrators to improve the quality of service. Public safety and security administrators are managing public safety and security effectively. However, agencies need more resources and public support to maintain public safety and security in Biliran Province.