All-female police force

Will an all-female police force make a difference?

Redeem the sagging image of the 99 percent-male police force?

Most likely it will, given the challenges and expectations policewomen are facing.

Or, most likely, because they’re simply made of sterner stuff.

Such is the public reaction to the news story that a fifth-class municipality in the island province of Siquijor became the first town in the country to have an all-female police force. According to the Philippine National Police, Maria, a coastal municipality, has taken the government’s program of women empowerment one step further by setting up a police force entirely composed of female officers. 

Police Brig. Gen. Debold  Sinas,  Central Visayas police director, said in a statement that the formation will “strongly advance women empowerment in promoting public safety and security services at all levels of police units and offices in the region.”

At the police station’s launching ceremony, Siquijor Gov. Zaldy Villa said the province’s police force is led by its police director, Police Col. Angela Rejano.

The extraordinary move, termed “Mariang Pulis,” is a spinoff of “Mamang Pulis,” which implies a male-dominated police force.

The all-female  police station operates with 21 officers, the ideal size for a municipality larger than Maria, which is 53.4 sq. km, or about 15 percent of Siquijor’s total land area.

Maria was a  pre-Spanish settlement, otherwise  known as “Kangminya,” after a famous native woman. The town was eventually renamed “Maria” in honor of Our Lady of Divine Providence, the town’s patron saint. The station is a feather in the cap for Siquijor, which is fast becoming a tourist destination for its fine beaches and its tales  of witches roaming the streets.

“Mariang Police” police director Col. Angela Rejano said the town’s police station used to have only  six female officers.

She began selecting policewomen to be assigned to Maria.

The officers have been trained on driving, shooting, arresting techniques and other police operation and intervention procedures such as checkpoint, automated finger print identification system,  and first aid.

From my stand, the move is a boost for women and children to report sexual harassment and other forms of violations in view of the sympathetic attitude of female officers. 

Police Col. Ildebrand Usara represented  Police Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas at the launch. Usna said “Mariang Pulis” tells the world women have proven to be among the most efficient members of any  work force. “(It) will serve as a show window that the PNP is a gender-friendly organization.”

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A nationwide culinary competition espouses “a new culinary  philosophy of progression that allows student chefs to shine!” The competition, titled “Oro Plata Masa” initiated by Marissa Dames of DTC Promos Inc., is open to all Filipino students who are at least 16 years old by Sept. 1, 2019, and are currently enrolled in a cooking course/program of any  school recognized by the Philippine government. 

Dames, a winner of a prestigious Nationwide cook match and has been working in the food and marketing industry for the last 25 years, explains the clever event title thus:

“Oro,” which is gold, stands for the highest standard of excellence aspired for by chefs.   “Plato”  is the plate (or stage)  by which the student  contestants can showcase their passion, talent and skills in creating culinary masterpieces  and “Masa”  is “the heart and soul of the project, it  could mean dough and the masses.” Dames says  the students are “the ‘dough’ or assets that we can work with and support. Our goal is to allow each contestant to rise to his/her full potential through this competition and of course, we will try to reach as many students and schools as possible.”

DTC Promos has worked with over 200 culinary schools in the past 10 years that offer diplomas/certificates or special courses in culinary studies. Dames says most of the time, those who hog the limelight are students from top or well-known schools which are mostly located in the key cities.

“Oro Plato Masa” seeks to give more schools a chance to send participants who will benefit  from the platform and allow the later to jumpstart their careers with resources that can help build their own food business.

Says Dames: “We want  to show that our graduates are ready for the workplace. Many winners of the past competitions that we have organized for our clients have boosted their chances when applying for jobs because they have shown they can work under pressure.”

There will be two categories for the competition: the Ulam (savory) category and the Minatamis (dessert) category.

Qualified students must form a team of two members from the same school or program, and fill out the entry form downloaded from  the Oro, Plato, Masa Facebook page. Link: https://www.facebook.com/oroplatomasa. Entries and forms can also be downloaded from ph.

Recipes will be screened beforehand and must meet the requirements of the category entered. Entries must also be the original recipes of the entrant.

Deadline for submission of entries is on Jan. 15, 2020. Eighteen teams will be chosen and will be announced via Facebook on Jan. 30, 2020.The finalists will also be informed through email or text messages.

SM Supermalls will host the grand finals on Feb. 22, 2020 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

The grand winners will win Lenovo laptops, kitchen equipment and products from Unilever Food Solutions, Masflex, Oleo Fats and Sonie.

 The grand winners will win Lenovo laptops, kitchen equipment and  products from Unilever Food Solutions, Masflex, Oleo Fats and Sonlie.

The event is supported by the Manila  Bulletin, Business Mirror, Metro Channel, Cook Magazine, Health & Fitness, Pilipino Mirror, DWIZ, 97.9 Home Radio, Philippines Graphic, UNOX, All About Baking and Kitchen Aid.

Product sponsors are Oleo Fats, Knorr and Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/oroplatomasa or www.dtcpromos.com.ph or call Lynette at 0995) 5838382; landlines (063) 8925842/8929176 or 8134930 or email [email protected]

Email: [email protected]