ILOILO City – Amid efforts to ensure a more agile and responsive police force, nearly 100 police officers under the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) have been classified as obese following the latest Body Mass Index (BMI) assessment, prompting intensified enforcement of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) health and fitness program.
A total of 98 uniformed personnel — or 8.2 percent of ICPO’s 1,187-strong workforce — were found to fall under three obesity categories, ranging from mild (Obese 1), moderate (Obese 2) to severe (Obese 3), according to ICPO spokesperson Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines.
“But this isn’t alarming. With just a year of consistent workouts, they can recover quickly,” Sangrines said, adding that health and fitness remain integral to police service.
She added: “A healthy body is a healthy mind. Pulis ICPO will make fitness a way of life. This will directly improve the delivery of public safety services to the people.”
The ICPO headquarters recorded the highest number of obese personnel at 12, followed by the Mobile Patrol Unit (9), Police Stations 1 and 10 (9 and 7 respectively), and other units such as: General Services Office (8), Mobile Force Company (7), Police Stations 3 and 7 (7 each),
Police Stations 6 and 9 (6 each), Police Station 8 (5), Police Stations 2 and 4 (3 each), City Drug Enforcement Unit (3), Police Station 5 (2), and Traffic Enforcement Unit (2).
The national PNP leadership has long been pushing for physical readiness within the ranks through the Physical Fitness Monitoring System (PFMS) and a Weight Loss Program.
Officers flagged as obese are now required to undergo monthly monitoring, nutrition consultations, and supervised physical training.
Fitness compliance has also become a component of performance evaluation reports, reinforcing the PNP’s drive for a disciplined and high-performing police service.
In 2023, then PNP chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. underscored the need for health-based reforms, stating: “A healthy police officer is a more productive police officer. This program is for the benefit of the officers themselves and the communities they serve.”
Sangrines emphasized that beyond reducing weight, the goal is a sustained shift in lifestyle and work ethic: “The goal is not just weight loss, but discipline, lifestyle change, and better performance on the ground.”
Reassuring the public, Sangrines said the ICPO has the situation in check.
“We owe it to the people to be fit, sharp, and ready. Health is part of our discipline and commitment to service,” she added./PN
