Police to use poetry during school visits

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police will use simple Filipino poetry to engage and interact with elementary school students.

Police Community Relations Group head Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said they are still finalizing the poems to be recited by police officers when they visit schools during their routine patrols.

The “Isang Tula ng Pulis Para sa Mag-aaral” project aims to make elementary school children more familiar with and relaxed around police officers.

“School children are often told to be afraid of the police officer. Through this project, we want to make the children realize that the police officer is their friend, whom they could approach and ask for help,” Bartolome said.

One of the poems describes the policeman’s uniform and the medals, badge and insignias attached to it.

“It is a way of telling the students the proper way the policeman should wear his uniform,” Bartolome said.

The poem “Isang Tula Para sa Mga Mag-aaral” was read at a recent morning formation at Camp Crame by Police Officer 1 Myleen Lacambra.

Bartolome said the project initially eyes elementary school children from Grades 1 to 3 in schools nationwide as its audience.

“We are still coordinating with the Department of Education so that they would also be aware of the nature of our visits to the schools. Our policemen will visit the schools and spend just a few minutes in class, preferably after the morning flag raising ceremony,” he said. —