CEBU, Philippines - Recognizing the physical condition of a policeman as key in fighting criminality, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) held a forum on nutrition in line with the 16h Police Community Relations Month and the 37th Nutrition Month celebration.
Just the other day, 50 CCPO policemen, most of whom were overweight, were given a lecture on the “Nutritional Guidelines for Healthy Lifestyles.”
Hospital dieticians and nutritionist taught them the basic things to do to have good health, especially considering the fact that they are public servants.
The forum started at 8 a.m. and lasted until 12 noon last Wednesday. CCPO Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe said the seminar on nutrition was needed before his personnel “totally get fat.”
“Oftentimes policemen are presented in stereotyped figures of a person who is fat and with big tummy. It’s normal for those who are aging, maybe of stress. Also some indulges in overeating …unhealthy lifestyle like smoking, drinking,” Buenafe said.
The lecturers of the forum were Cecilia Ruiz, the chief dietician of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, and the hospital’s nutritionists and staff, Jesusa Fernan, Agnes Libor, Maternidad Cadenas, and Jezabelle Sardillas.
The hospital staff taught the policemen about proper diet like the need for more vegetables and fruits instead of meat, and proper exercises.
“Because in our common kitchen we usually find there kawali and kaldero. In kawali we cook there mostly pinirito,” Buenafe said.
The seminar also included the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle like hypertension and diabetes.
In the middle of the forum, the cops did some exercises and were given a glass of free chocolate drink. They were also weighed.
Personnel from the Cebu City Public Safety Company, CCPO’s standby force constitute majority of the attendees. Others were from the Tourist Action Center police, the Crime Record Section and the Warrant and Subpoena Section.
The rest were from the Investigation and Detective Management Branch, Administration Section, Family Juvenile and Gender Sensitivity Section, and General Services Section.
Also present were policemen from PCR branch, City Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group, Crime Against Property Unit, Crime Against Property Desk, Crime Scene Investigation Section, and City Intelligence Branch.
A policeman from each of the first five police stations also attended the forum.
SPO2 Lilibeth Arche, of the Homicide Section, said the activity was helpful.
Buenafe said they embarked on the forum to encourage healthy lifestyle, believing that peace and order starts with the healthy policemen.
“Being healthy comes with healthy lifestyle and appropriate nutrition that is why CCPO sponsored this seminar to promote the health and well being of our personnel who will serve and protect the people of Cebu City,” the CCPO director said. — with Mechievilla Carline S. Benolerao,USJ-R JPM (FREEMAN)