10,000 new cops to be recruited in 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang has allocated P2.4 billion to fund the recruitment of 10,000 new policemen and acquisition of equipment for the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya said the fund is included in the P49.8-billion budget of the PNP.

The PNP budget is part of the P1.54 trillion national budget for 2010, which was sent to Congress for approval, officials said yesterday.

Andaya said the move would cap “an administration drive to put more cops on the streets.” The proposed 2010 General Appropriations Act is the last budget measure of the Arroyo administration.

He said the PNP’s proposed budget for 2010 is P2.4 billion higher than the police budget this year.

Once recruited, the police rookies will raise the troop level of the PNP to 142,393, from 115,743 seven years ago, and would improve the policeman-to-citizen ratio to 1:663 from last year’s 1:700, he said.

The hiring of additional policemen is part of a five-year police modernization plan, which began in 2006 when President Arroyo outlined its components in a speech during that year’s PNP anniversary rites at Camp Crame in Quezon City, he said.

The plan, which costs P10 billion, involves the purchase of equipment that will improve police mobility, communication, and firepower, Andaya said.

For next year, P2 billion will be allocated to buy guns amounting to P264 million; vehicles, P935 million; communication gear, P180 million; among other equipment.

“In addition P100 million has also been included in the 2010 budget for the construction of additional police stations,” Andaya said.

He said the decision to step up police recruitment, to 10,000 policemen in 2010 from the original plan of 3,000, was based on the recommendation of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno.

Andaya said the national budget for 2010 also included P68 billion for the second installment of the four-year pay increase for government personnel.

Former economic planning secretary Ralph Recto said President Arroyo’s successor in 2010 would face a serious fiscal problem as he or she would inherit a government that is deep in debt and in deficit to the tune of more than P200 billion.

The country incurred record levels of financing deficits under Mrs. Arroyo. This year’s budget gap, officially projected to reach P255 billion, is so far the biggest. Read the complete article here at this link http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=500998&publicationSubCategoryId=63

Cops Training in Cebu

Want to be a cop? Read this

MANILA, Philippines—A police official on Tuesday warned police applicants to beware of people who pose as National Police Commission (Napolcom) employees and offer to facilitate their entry into the Philippine National Police for a fee.

Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo, chief of the Quezon City Police District’s intelligence operations unit, issued the warning following the arrest of Lilia Ladyaalam, 52.

Pedrozo said Ladyaalam, who claimed to be a Napolcom employee, was arrested in an entrapment operation on Monday in a fastfood restaurant on Congressional Avenue near Edsa.

He added that her arrest was based on the complaint of a woman who said that Ladyaalam promised to ensure her son’s entry into the police service—whether or not he passed the PNP entrance exam—in exchange for P25,000.

The applicant was scheduled to take the test in October. Ladyaalam also told the complainant that she could just pay her an initial P10,000 with the rest to be paid later.
Read the complete article here http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090819-220969/Want-to-be-a-cop-Read-this

8,400 cops to benefit from new cops’ law

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police welcomed on Wednesday the signing into law of an act that, among other things, extends the regulation period granted to policemen in complying with the minimum educational requirements to become a member of the police force.
The law, signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, extended to five years the regulation period for complying with the minimum educational qualification for appointment to the PNP and adjusted the promotion system of the national police.

Director General Jesus Verzosa said the new law is set to benefit some 8,400 uniformed personnel, particularly former members of the now-defunct Philippine Constabulary and Integrated National Police (PC/INP) who were absorbed into the PNP but have yet to complete the required college degree as minimum educational qualification for appointment in the PNP.

The new law will also allow PNP personnel to avail of career advancement opportunities in the service despite harassment cases filed against them particularly before the Office of the Ombudsman and other fora.

Particularly, Section 2 of the new law provides that a police officer facing investigation shall be considered for promotion if the case remains unresolved after two years.

“It is a fact that some of our police officers are themselves victims of harassment often by arrested persons who want to get back at their arresting officers,” Verzosa said.
“The PNP is very grateful to President Arroyo, the Senate, and House of Representatives for passing and enacting this law,” he added. Read the original article here by clicking this link
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090812-219944/8400-cops-to-benefit-from-new-cops-law

MORE countries now want their citizens to learn English.

Associate professor Phyllis Chew of Nanyang University in Singapore made the observation during the Cebu International ESL (English as a Second Language) Conference at Diplomat Hotel, Cebu City last Saturday.

She said that the trend is the result of the change in the status of women in society, increase in migration and transmigration, knowledge explosion and information technology, the writing revolution, and the rise of a global language.

“Teachers need to know these changes. English, it seems, has raced ahead of its competitors. For the last 20 years, so many want to learn it,” she said.

Chew said Singapore, for one, is attracting many Koreans who want to learn to speak English.
The Philippines, India and Malaysia are among the Asian nations that are known as good English teachers because they have been using the language as their medium of instruction, she noted.
“The fast way of mastering English now is through content. And speed is crucial in the process. Many learn English quickly because this has been used as a medium of instruction when they started school. They have been immersed in an English acquisition-rich environment since they were young,” Chew said.

Being known as a nation with a pool of good English speakers, she added, will boost the influx of international students who want to learn English.

The Koreans made up 27.83 percent of Cebu’s tourist market from January to June 2009. According to the Department of Tourism, most of them come to Cebu to study English.
Meanwhile, the knowledge explosion and information technology (IT) across the globe also signaled the need for teachers to incorporate IT in their methodology for learners, especially the young, to easily cope and “survive” in their studies, Chew said.

The IT aspect of learning is characterized by digitization of learning materials, production of e-books (electronic books) and creation of Ebraries (electronic libraries), she said.
“Integration of IT also makes online education possible and enables learners to do many things (while on the Internet),” said Chew.

She pointed out that a good method of teaching English will depend on existing variables—such as time, type of students, place and culture—that teachers have to assess before conducting their lessons. Tuesday, August 11, 2009 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/more-nations-want-english-language-skills

Online -- and in the Loop -- With D.C. Police

Kent Boese was watching television in his Northwest Washington home when he heard a series of popping sounds. So he did what has become natural to thousands of D.C. residents eager for up-to-the-minute information about crime in their neighborhoods.

He sent an e-mail.
"Does anyone have any details about the shooting that just happened on Quebec near Park Place not more than 30-45 minutes ago? Thanks, Kent."

Boese, 44, sent the note to neighbors, to D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) and to Inspector Jacob Kishter, commander of the 3rd Police District substation in the neighborhood. Kishter replied 75 minutes later, at 11:11 p.m. on a Monday night, and copied his note to the 809 subscribers of the substation e-mail list. He gave the location of the shooting, the number of victims -- two, a man and a woman -- and said the victims were on the way to a hospital.

"The matter is currently being investigated by Third District Detectives," Kishter wrote.
Police departments that once treated information technology as an internal tool for tracking crime are opening up to the public, inviting them to join online discussion groups, participate in social networking and even help solve crimes.

Residents in Madison, Wis., can sign up for e-mails from their local police districts. In Los Angeles, residents can sign up for a program called e-policing, and officers will send them electronic newsletters about crime trends and other police issues.
"We're evaluating the use of Twitter. That's coming down the line," said Los Angeles police Lt. Rick Banks, who leads the online unit.

U.S. Park Police use a blog to post crime bulletins and ask the public for tips. When a 13-year-old boy went missing on the Mall, Sgt. David Schlosser, a department spokesman responsible for keeping the blog current, posted the boy's photo and asked for help. When the boy was found, Schlosser posted an update at 12:45 a.m.: "Thank you for your help in closing the case."
By using technology to inform the public, police departments are bringing officers closer to the people they serve, in part by demystifying the policing process, said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Research Executive Forum.

"There's greater interaction, greater communication, and things can get done in a very timely manner," Wexler said. "The only real downside is managing expectations. Just because someone can send an e-mail doesn't mean that the problem will get fixed."
Police in the District, along with Loudoun, Prince George's and other Washington area counties, offer crime-mapping and other tools on their Web sites. But in the District, online conversations between officers and residents appear to be the way police use technology to reach the most people at one time.

There are eight online police discussion groups in the District, one for each of the districts and a substation. The discussion groups have grown each year since they started in 2004, and more than 7,000 people are signed up. All of them send out a daily crime report and a daily listing of arrests. Some will occasionally provide advice in response to residents' concerns about particular crimes, such as car break-ins or street robberies.

The exchanges, which are mostly about crime but can delve into such topics as trash pickup or rats, often prove useful to "lurkers," including government officials who need to keep up with constituent concerns.

Council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) will often answer a resident's question about an abandoned car or vacant property.

"I try to make sure that the police give them the information they need," Bowser said. "Often they post a question to the police, and I can make sure that all the resources of the government can be brought to the problem."

The format has the support of top leaders in the department, including Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, who keeps at least one BlackBerry tethered to her hip, subscribes to all the lists, and sometimes participates in the discussions. Local police commanders often post news about a high-profile arrest or promise to follow up on issues of importance to their neighborhoods, such as a string of burglaries or stolen cars.

Cmdr. David K. Kamperin of the 1st Police District said he constantly monitors traffic on the station's 1,600-subscriber e-mail list and forwards messages to his lieutenants so they can address crime concerns.

On a recent Saturday morning, Kamperin posted a note about an arrest in the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy. He named the homicide detective who "worked the case tirelessly" and secured an arrest warrant one day after the shooting.

Later that day, a resident responded to Kamperin's note. "Good job MPD- 1D!"
"It can be time-consuming," Kamperin said of keeping up with the online discussion groups. "But it's important because we can share information in real time."

On the night he heard gunshots, Boese tried to find out what was going on the old-fashioned way. He went outside and talked to neighbors. But they knew nothing. He walked closer to the scene, but the yellow police crime-scene tape prevented him from seeing anything.
Boese went back home, sent his e-mail and got an answer.

"I think a public statement that soon was excellent," Boese said.

Police departments that once treated information technology as an internal tool for tracking crime are opening up to the public, inviting them to join online discussion groups, participate in social networking and even help solve crimes.

Residents in Madison, Wis., can sign up for e-mails from their local police districts. In Los Angeles, residents can sign up for a program called e-policing, and officers will send them electronic newsletters about crime trends and other police issues.

"We're evaluating the use of Twitter. That's coming down the line," said Los Angeles police Lt. Rick Banks, who leads the online unit.

U.S. Park Police use a blog to post crime bulletins and ask the public for tips. When a 13-year-old boy went missing on the Mall, Sgt. David Schlosser, a department spokesman responsible for keeping the blog current, posted the boy's photo and asked for help. When the boy was found, Schlosser posted an update at 12:45 a.m.: "Thank you for your help in closing the case."

from the Washington Post read the original complete article here Wednesday, July 22, 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/21/AR2009072103324_pf.html

1. Write a comprehensive introductory letter that clearly explains why you are qualified for the job. Don’t just put in a resume, especially one that looks like it was edited three years ago.

2. Spell check! It gives a very bad impression to have wrong spelling or grammar in your application.

3. Be careful when putting attachments that cannot be opened. Case in point: Be careful not to save it in Microsoft Word 2007 format as this is a new format and cannot be opened by companies that are still using Word 2003 or Word 2000.

4. Don’t use an e-mail address with a weird or goofy name.

5. Don’t ask a friend to send or e-mail your application.

6. Specify the job you are applying for. Don’t make the company evaluate what job suits you best.

“Around 20 to 30 years ago, even our taxi drivers could speak straight English. Now, many of them have a problem speaking the language clearly,” Gullas said.

Gullas pointed out that in India’s recent economic boom, their citizens with English skills were the ones who benefitted from it. “This is because they are the ones cornering the good-paying jobs,” noted the educator-turned-lawmaker. He said those without the skills were left behind. “Without access to gainful employment, they remain mired in poverty, amid the economic boom there,” he further stated.

Congressman Gullas, Cebu