CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) has expressed full support for the physical fitness program of newly appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Nicolas Torre III.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, CCPO’s deputy city director for operations, said the local police force fully backs the campaign to enforce physical fitness among police personnel nationwide.
“We agree to be one hundred percent [supportive] sa nakita sa atong Chief PNP na necessary nga ‘physically fit’ gyud ang atoang mga kapolisan because unsaon nalang man paggukod sa kapolisan kung dili sila fit ug dali sila hangakon,” Macatangay told reporters.
She noted that under the leadership of CCPO acting city director Police Colonel Enrico Figueroa, the office has implemented a weight-loss management program and is already tracking the body mass index (BMI) of its personnel.
“We are collecting the body mass index of all our PNP personnel, as well as their weight at this current time. Then, for a certain period on a monthly basis, atoa na gyud ng gina-monitor ang pagkunhod sa ilahang weight and dapat in-relation and aligned ni sila sa ilahang body mass index,” she explained.
Macatangay encouraged police officers to enroll in gyms, do calisthenics, running, or any other form of physical activity they believe will help in managing their weight.
“Atoang gina-encourage atoang mga PNP personnel karon nga mo-enroll sa mga gym, do calisthenics, do running, (and) whatever sports that they think can help them manage their weight because mao mana ang expectation sa ilaha,” she said.
She also highlighted that various sporting activities and tournaments await the city's police force, including tennis, basketball, and volleyball, among others.
With the implementation of the eight-hour beat patrol system, Macatangay expressed hope that officers can find time to contribute to their physical fitness even while on duty. She emphasized that this system also aims to increase police visibility in the city.
“Sa kana nga eight-hour duty, they’re given areas where they can do foot patrolling. So, sa paglakaw-lakaw pa lang sa sulod sa walo ka oras, maka-contribute na sila sa metabolism sa atoang mga kapolisan,” she said.
“Hopefully, all the things that we are doing here sa Cebu City will result sa gina-expect nato nga more visible ang atoang kapolisan sa mga kadalanan, and at the same time mo-contribute pod sa ilahang wellness and weight-loss management,” she added. — (FREEMAN)