Iloilo city: The local government has finalized a three-year Peace and Order and Public Safety (POPS) Plan following its adoption by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council) during a regular session. The plan is designed to enhance public safety, reduce crime, improve disaster preparedness, and improve coordination among government agencies, law enforcement, and community stakeholders.

According to Philippines News Agency, City Planning and Development Officer Ronald Cartagena emphasized that the POPS framework aligns with both the city government's overall plan and the national government's peace and order agenda. Cartagena noted that the plan needs to be implemented at the barangay level and will guide the allocation of resources in the Annual Investment Plan, impacting budgeting for the peace and order sector.

Cartagena explained that the POPS plan enables the local government unit (LGU) to support programs by national government agencies (NGA), which often face funding shortfalls, particularly for facilities and personnel needs. He chairs the technical working group responsible for crafting the plan.

The three-year POPS plan has a total budget of PHP1.2 billion, with PHP349.68 million allocated for 2026, PHP411.96 million for 2027, and PHP439.96 million for 2028. Cartagena mentioned that these budgetary requirements are subject to fund availability, with the option to request supplemental budgets when necessary.

This year, the target budget for the POPS plan was PHP163.3 million, but only PHP100.21 million was allocated in the 2026 budget.