The Philippines is among the safest countries in the world based on people's perception of peace and order, at par with New Zealand and Australia, a report by American analytics firm Gallup showed.
Manila was among the top 50 nations deemed to be the safest based on people's report of personal security and their experiences with crime and law enforcement, Gallup's 2020 Global Law and Order Report showed.
The Southeast Asian nation of some 100 million people got an index score of 84 along with Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and Serbia out of a possible 100.
Singapore and Turkmenistan topped the index with a score of 97 each and followed by China (94), and Iceland and Kuwait at 93 each. Afghanistan ranked the lowest with an index score of 43.
What does this mean?
According to Gallup, "the higher the score, the higher the proportion of the population that reports feeling safe."
The 2020 Global Law and Order Report based its scores on the survey answers of some 175,000 adults in 144 countries and areas in 2019. Around 1,000 adults (aged 15 and older) were interviewed in each country either face-to-face or via telephone, Gallup said.
Respondents had to answer the four following questions:
• In the city or area where you live, do you have confidence in the local police force?
• Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?
• Within the last 12 months, have you had money or property stolen from you or another household member?
• Within the past 12 months, have you been assaulted or mugged?
Overall, the index score for the world in 2019 was 82 out of a possible 100, Gallup said. The Philippines is two notches above this score.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the Philippines' index score reflects public trust in the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“It is very reassuring for us working in the government knowing that the people feel safe in their homes and on the streets," Año said in a statement Wednesday. “The goal is to sustain this rating in the long run para sa mas ligtas na mamamayan at mas ligtas na Pilipinas."
