Local police undergo online training

MANILA, Philippines - Starting this month, more than 200 policemen will get hooked to their computers and it's not because of Facebook and web chat.

The Philippine National Police has enrolled 259 police directors and police chiefs across the country to online leadership and management courses, a first in the country and a move experts said would help outclass tech-savvy terrorists and insurgents in the country.

"Online training is effective and efficient... even those on the other side of the fence, the terrorists and the communist insurgents, they are doing things online so we have to do it better than them," said Dr. Benjamin Espiritu of the De La Salle University Graduate School of Business during the launching of the online course at Camp Crame on Monday.

More than 40 enrolled senior officers gathered at the PNP Training Center early morning Monday for the opening ceremony of the online training program, which will run for about three months or 80 days.

At P25,000 each, the cost of the online course was shouldered by the Public Safety Mutual Benefit Fund, Inc. (PSMBFI), said PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina in an interview with the Inquirer.

He added, provincial directors and police chiefs will have to finish 160 and 140 training hours, respectively.

The course includes a daylong training on the Integrated Transformation Program, lectures on management and leadership principles, basic communication, election laws and a weeklong discussion on financial planning management.

The series of lectures, exercises and case studies would apply relevant theories and principles of leadership and management into the police operational needs, said officials.

Provided by professors of the De La Salle University and the University of the Philippine Open University with the aid of the Tech Advantage Corp., lectures would be facilitated via an online chat program and web camera, said Espiritu.

"The good thing about this is that enrolled officers will be allowed the luxury of choosing the time they can do their course exercises," he pointed out.

On the other end, tutors would be available on a 24-hour basis to assist those who might have queries about their case studies and homework, he added.

Supt. Ferdinand Ampil of Quezon City's Station-7, said he would do his homework after duty at night.

"This is a good opportunity for us to hone our communication skills and modify old management styles we've learned from the past," Ampil said in an interview.

According to Senior Supt. Charles Calima Jr., PNP Training Service director, the newly launched online courses represent the future of PNP training where police officers would not have to leave their assignments to polish their skills.

"There will be no more big expenses in reporting to training school and spending personal money for food and other incidental expenses. The student can also immediately apply to his individual work the lessons that are learned online," added Calima. Click the link to read the original item
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20090921-226287/Local-police-undergo-online-training

Cops go online for education, best practices

MANILA, Philippines—For the first time in the country, police officers are going online to study, acknowledging the capabilities of the Internet as a “crucial source of information.”

Some 47 ranking officers consisting of provincial directors and chiefs of police gathered at the PNP Training Service in Camp Crame early Monday for the online leadership course conducted by the De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines.

The course focuses on providing police officers training on the use of the Internet for “professional and personal development,” said Dr. Enrico Velasco, head of Tech Advantage Corporation, one of those supporting the program.
According to Dr. Benjie Espiritu of the DLSU Graduate School, the training will be an 80-day online course using an online chat software and web cam to facilitate the lectures.

The course consists of a day-long training on the Integrated Transformation Program (ITP), a seven-day financial planning seminar, basic communication training, and orientation on laws, human rights provisions, and election laws.

Espiritu said online training has become the “norm” in other police organizations in the United States and Europe.
“Online opens a world of possibilities. It gives a chance to learn and to access information quickly. We can go beyond our respective areas of jurisdiction and find out best practices in other areas,” he added.

The online course will be given by senior professors from DLSU and UP. Police officers have the advantage of choosing their preferred time of training, Espiritu said.

Senior Superintendent Charles Calima Jr., head of the PNP Training Service, said the objective of the 80-day course is to “upgrade the leadership and management capabilities of PNP field commanders through a series of lectures, exercises, and case studies applying relevant theories and principles.”

The course will end with participants producing an integrated public safety plan to be submitted to their local peace and order council. The public safety plan should consist of all the information obtained in the lectures.

A face-to-face interview will also be given to determine what police officers have learned during the course.

“This assures the successful transfer of knowledge from instructor to student. We can only claim that we have successfully transferred skills and knowledge if, after stepping out of the portals of the training service, the student goes back to his unit and starts to perform his duties related to his course,” Calima said. From this link

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090921-226242/Cops-go-online-for-education-best-practices

English skills remain a plus for Cebuanos

CEBU, Philippines - The English proficiency of Filipinos, particularly the Cebuanos, is one good advantage emphasized by a company engaged in inviting more investors to the city.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=504213&publicationSubCategoryId=108

English skills remain a plus for Cebuanos

CEBU, Philippines - The English proficiency of Filipinos, particularly the Cebuanos, is one good advantage emphasized by a company engaged in inviting more investors to the city.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=504213&publicationSubCategoryId=108

Policeman retrains on dress code

National Police Chief Jesus Verzosa has ordered a Mandaluyong City policeman to take a refresher training course for tucking a gun in his waist.

He said PO3 Ireneo Lachica was photographed at a crime scene in general office attire without the regulation holster and pistol belt for his service firearm.

“PO3 Lachica showed glaring disrespect to the police symbol of authority by the manner he wore his own uniform and for carrying a gun tucked under the waistband which is not only against regulations, but also a very unsafe way to carry a gun,” Verzosa said.

He ordered unit chiefs to hold regular field inspections and lectures on the Letter of Instruction “Tamang Bihis (proper attire),” prescribing the dress code.

Under regulations, violators face reprimand and administrative sanctions.

The refresher course includes gun safety and proficiency at the training service unit. Read this original post at http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideMetro.htm?f=2009/september/14/metro2.isx&d=2009/september/14

Applications for PNPA cadetship open

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine National Police Academy opens its cadetship program to natural born Filipino citizens of good moral character, male or female who must be single and with no legal obligation to support a child or children.

Applicants must be 17 to 21 years old; with a height of at least 162.5 centimeters (5’4”) for male and 157 cm. (5’2) for female; weight of not more or less than five kilograms of the standard weight measurement corresponding to height, age and gender; at least high school graduate; must be able to pass physical fitness exercises required; physically and mentally fit for cadetship training; no criminal, administrative or civil case on file before any Prosecutor’s Office or and Court of Justice and other derogatory records; and not a former cadet of PNPA or other service academies.

Those interested are to submit a duly accomplished application together with a self-stamped window envelope to the Office of the Registrar or mail to: The Director, (Attn: Registrar), PNPA, Camp General Mariano N. Castañeda, 4129 Silang, Cavite.

Deadline for submission of application is on September 30, this year. Notice of examination will be sent through mail or applicants may visit the website: www.pnpa.edu.ph for the list of qualified examinees, place of examination and other test requirements.

The PNPA Cadet Admission Test will be administered nationwide on October 25, 2009; Sunday at 7 a.m. For applicants in Region VII (Central Visayas), they may take the examination here in Cebu City as provided in their notice of examination.

More details may be obtained from the Public Information Office of the Police Regional Office-7 or at the Provincial/City Police Offices or one may get a copy of the application form that can be downloaded from the www.pnpa.edu.ph site.

The examination would cover communication skills, math and sciences, logical and reasoning ability, general information and current events, and values and aptitude for the service.

However, applicants are reminded that grounds for medical disqualification include defective visual perception (color blindness, near-sightedness/far-sightedness with corrective eyeglasses or lens); physical deformities like being bowlegged or with congenital defects; perforated eardrum, chronic sinusitis, bleeding tendencies, hemorrhoids, hernia (if not treated), varicocoele; extensive skin disorders; history of heart disease, hypertension, asthma, active pulmonary tuberculosis, kidney and liver diseases and other ailments like hepatitis, venereal diseases, HIV-AIDS, etc.; full dentures, upper and lower; cleft lip and palate, malocclusion, deformities of the face, open bite, tongue-tied; with missing four anterior or front teeth and with missing six posterior/molar teeth; tattoos and other brotherhood marks, and pierced ear (male only).

Goiter, history of pregnancy, presence of breast mass, and painful menstruation are grounds for disqualification of female applicants.

The PNPA cadetship program is a four-year residential scholarship leading to a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Safety. Graduates are appointed as police, fire and jail inspectors.

The Philippine National Police Academy established under Section 19 of the Presidential Decree 1184 is a component of the Philippine Public Safety College pursuant to Section 67 of Republic Act 6975 and serves as the premier institution mandated to provide preparatory education and training for the future commissioned officers of the PNP, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Read the original article here
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=503070&publicationSubCategoryId=107