Private security guards are a common presence in private and government offices, schools, commercial establishments and residential areas. 

Security Guards follow a dress code and those posted at the entrance and exit doors wear the standard blue and white uniform, while those assigned inside the premises are in “barong tagalog” or civilian clothes to conceal their identity.

Based on the records of the licensing office of the Philippine National Police (PNP), there are approximately 500,000 licensed private security guards in the country and this does not include those hired directly as personal bodyguards. They outnumber the 130,000-strong Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police’s 160,000, more or less, police personnel. The security guards’ credit, the PNP considers them “force multipliers” in areas where it has limited personnel or unable to send mobile cars for regular patrols.