E-Paper
Sign In
How Dubai Police inspired 2 Filipino officers to take new leadership, tech skills home
The two officers described PIL as transformative, introducing them to innovative, community-focused approaches to improving public services and strengthening trust
- PUBLISHED: Sat 22 Aug 2026, 7:23 PM UPDATED: Sun 23 Aug 2026, 12:01 PM
Two Philippine National Police (PNP) officers say their time in Dubai has changed the way they think about the future of policing, giving them ideas they hope to put into practice back home.
Major Richard Curada Luzano and Captain Modesto Dumanging Nahiwan were among law enforcement officers from 45 countries who took part in the third edition of the Policing Innovation and International Leadership Diploma (PIL), organised by Dubai Police in cooperation with Rabdan Academy.
Recommended For You
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Both said the programme gave them a chance to look beyond traditional approaches to policing, with a focus on technology, leadership, innovation and stronger ties with the communities they serve, according to Dubai Police.
Seeing policing from different angle
For Luzano, the programme was an opportunity to sharpen his leadership skills while gaining a better understanding of how policing is changing.
“This programme provided me with a unique opportunity to enhance my leadership capabilities, broaden my perspective on modern policing strategies and gain valuable insights into innovative practices that can be applied within my organisation,” he said.
One of his biggest takeaways was adaptive leadership. He said police leaders need to think strategically, embrace new ideas and work with different stakeholders while staying ahead of emerging challenges.
Nahiwan also joined PIL looking for a broader view of policing around the world but said he came away with more than he expected.
“The programme strengthened international cooperation among participating countries and equipped me with a forward-looking mindset to develop our services in the Philippines,” he said.
For him, good policing goes beyond enforcing the law. It is about making a real difference to the public, improving services and building trust through legitimacy and fairness.
Innovation in modern policing
Innovation and leadership were central to the experience for both officers.
Luzano said frameworks such as Tuckman’s model of group dynamics and different innovation methodologies gave him new ways to think about how teams and organisations can work better.
He said innovation is not only about introducing something completely new but also about improving existing systems while being open to ideas that challenge conventional ways of working.
Nahiwan was particularly interested in how smart technology, leadership and community engagement can work together.
For him, bringing these elements together is key to making policing more proactive and responsive to the people it serves.
Learning from each other
The learning did not only happen in one direction. Luzano and Nahiwan also brought their own experiences from the Philippines into the programme.
Luzano shared the PNP’s work in community engagement and proactive crime prevention, while Nahiwan spoke about community partnerships, responding to crises and maintaining operational resilience.
They said hearing how officers from different countries approach similar challenges added another layer to the experience, showing how ideas from one policing environment can offer useful lessons in another.
Bringing Dubai’s lessons home
Now that the programme is over, both officers want to turn those lessons into practical changes in their work.
Luzano plans to use what he learned to strengthen his leadership style and encourage a stronger culture of innovation within his organisation, particularly in community engagement and strategic problem-solving.
Nahiwan wants to build on the programme’s focus on technology and community engagement by advancing approaches that can improve public trust and the quality of police services in the Philippines.
For both officers, their time in Dubai was about more than adding another qualification to their careers. It gave them new ideas, international connections and a different way of looking at how policing can evolve, bringing technology and innovation together with leadership and a stronger connection to the communities officers serve.
