WRITING PROWESS. Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) holds the 1st Police Skills Olympics with participants asked to write media lines, press releases, and how to handle media interviews at the provincial capital on Wednesday (July 17, 2019). APPO Deputy Director, Lt. Col. Norby Escobar, said the Olympics is a nationwide activity to check on the response capability of policemen. (PNA Photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique -- The Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) on Wednesday started their three-day first Police Skills Olympics with participants showing their skills in writing press releases and handling media interviews.
APPO Deputy Director, Lt. Col. Norby Escobar said the Olympics is a nationwide activity done for the first time to check on the response capability of the police personnel on spot reports and in coming up with news releases that could be provided to the public.
“The police personnel competing are representing their cluster which is composed of four municipal police stations each,” he said.
He said the 18 municipal police stations in the province has been clustered with four towns having one representative in this activity.
“The activity is an idea from the Police National Headquarters to ensure the responsiveness of the police personnel in terms of providing information,” he said.
He added that as part of the news writing and spot report writing competition, the police have been asked to come up with reports under time pressure.
They were also asked to read their press releases before the judges who asked for further information much like in a press conference.
The activity was judged by Philippine Information Agency Antique Manager Vicente Villavert; Marry Joy Vego, Production Supervisor of Buenavista Cable; and reporter Franz Garion, of DYKA radio station.
Outputs of participants were critiqued by the judges on how to further improve their reports.
Escobar said the three-day activity will also have physical competitions such as the conduct of search and rescue operations and other events that would test their abilities. (PNA)
