ASEZ held the “Reduce Crime Together [RCT]” Seminar on the 24th in Davao City. More than a thousand college students from USeP, together with dozens of ASEZ members and invitees from different organizations such as the Philippine National Police [PNP] Police Regional Office 11, the Davao City Police Office [DCPO], the Commission on Higher Education [CHED], and the University of Mindanao [UM], participated in the Seminar held in USeP Gymnasium and Cultural Center.
The seminar that began at 10 a.m. lasted for 3 hours. After the introduction of the Reduce Crime Together [RCT] Campaign by ASEZ, the congratulatory message from the Vice Mayor of Davao City J. Melchor B. Quitain Jr. was read. The Vice Mayor said, “Through this RCT Campaign, we set good examples to others. By respecting the rights of others and accepting one’s differences collectively, we can reduce crime in our society,” and expressed his gratitude to all the citizens and uniformed personnel in making Davao City the safest city in the Philippines.
ASEZ official said, “The purpose of RCT Seminar is to prevent crime. Punishing a criminal cannot solve the fundamental problem. Therefore, education and raising awareness on crime prevention is necessary more than anything else,” explaining the purpose of the seminar.
It was followed by lectures from three presenters. The first presenter, the Police Mayor [PMAJ] Julius P. Santillana from PNP PRO-11’s Cyber Crime Unit, warned of the seriousness of cyberbullying that increased rapidly over the past few years. He explained about the kinds of cyberbullying, its dangers, related laws and legal actions, countermeasures and prevention.
Next, Prof. Carmina B Cirunay-Deomcampo from the College of Criminal Justice Education [CCJE] at the University of Mindanao gave a lecture on the topic “Understanding Crime, Its Nature and Prevention.” She defined crime as an anti-social act that is injurious, detrimental, or harmful to the norms of society. She said, “The best way to prevent crime is to reduce the opportunity to commit crime by raising awareness and preventive actions.”
Lastly, Dr. Lourdes D. Ceasar from CHED delivered her lecture on the topic “The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Reducing Crime.” She emphasized crime reduction through education, saying, “Crime prevention is a shared responsibility between community and programs that involve education.” In addition, she explained how education contributes to reducing crime, stating, “Education teaches individuals about the consequences of their actions and encourages critical thinking and problem-solving.”
In addition to regular RCT seminars, ASEZ will make efforts in raising awareness among Filipino youth and university students nationwide through the Reduce Crime Education (RCT School) and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design [CPTED].
