Lingayen: The Police Regional Office (PRO) 1 in Ilocos is focusing on enhancing the physical fitness of its personnel to achieve a five-minute emergency response time and efficiently fulfill their duties.

According to Philippines News Agency, a total of 1,892 personnel in the region have been classified as obese and overweight, while approximately 7,723 maintain a normal weight as of June. PRO-1 officer-in-charge Brig. Gen. Dindo Reyes, speaking in a phone interview, emphasized the initiative to bring those needing weight loss to a healthier state within a year, following the directive of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III.

"Last week, we distributed weighing scales and tape measures to encourage them to lose weight," Reyes stated. The initiative is in accordance with Republic Act (RA) 6975, as amended in RA 8551, which mandates physical fitness as a continuous requirement for police personnel. Failure to meet these standards may result in consequences, Reyes noted.

To support this initiative, physical activities like Zumba lessons are conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. across all stations in the region. Officers on patrol duty during these hours have the option to engage in other activities at a later time, such as basketball or other sports.

During a turnover-of-command ceremony in Lingayen town, Pangasinan, Reyes highlighted the critical role of physical fitness in policing duties. "As police officers, our duty demands more than just questions. It demands preparedness, endurance, and swift response," he remarked.