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
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