SUBJECT: TO:

LOI _________ LUSOG KAISIPAN See distribution

I. REFERENCES: II. PURPOSE

This Letter of Instruction (LOI) sets forth the general guidelines to be followed by the PNP in coping up with job-related stress and its adverse effects through the implementation of Stress Management Program to those who will be exposed to different stress levels while performing their daily duties, in order to make each policeman/policewoman truly capable of serving the citizenry. III. SITUATION

There are serious acute and chronic stresses that police officers endure while protecting the community. Various levels of stress can be experienced from the moment they leave their civilian life and assume the role of law enforcers. This may continue as they go through orientation and training where they are gradually immersed into the police culture. They put their lives on the line to accomplish their duties and face the challenges and danger of the job. Furthermore, police officers are frequently the target of criticisms and complaints by citizens, the media, the judicial system, adversarial attorneys and their administrators/superiors. Failure to cope with stress could manifest stress signs leading to maladaptive behaviour and poor work performance. On average somewhere in America, a Law Enforcement Officer is killed inthe-line-of-duty every 54 hours. Law Enforcement Officers often pay another price that doesn't make the headlines on the evening news, yet one that still destroys lives. Stress is Law Enforcement's Hidden Assailant. Law Enforcement work can be a killer, even if no one is shooting at you! Stress among Law Enforcement Officers often effect relationships ending in divorce - an annual rate of nearly five times that of the general population. It spells problems with alcohol, prescription drug abuse, and domestic violence. Stress also means disruption of normal sleeping patterns, eating habits, poor nutrition, paranoia, fear, anger, and depression. In addition to the day-to-day stresses of law enforcement work, officers are also exposed to critical incident and post-traumatic stress. The officer's psychological defense mechanisms become over whelmed causing the officer to develop long-term stress effects. As a last resort, many officers turn their own handguns on themselves making law enforcement suicide an international epidemic (http://www.policestress.org/main.htm). The stress generated by unresolved marital problems is a daily corrosive element which drains an officers ability to function effectively (http://www.policestress.org/spouse.htm).

There have been several reports of grave misconduct due to emotional and mental instability caused by stress-contributing factors. A police non-commissioned officer (PNCO) with the rank of PO1 shot his Provincial Director and fellow close-in security escorts in Kalibo, Aklan on January 16, 2005. In April 2010, a Police Inspector committed suicide in Aklan Provincial Police Office. A Police Superintendent assigned in PRO3 manifested impulsiveness, hostility and paranoia towards his subordinates through a fit of rage and indiscriminate firing. On November 29, 2006, a police medical officer became severely depressed and devastated with his lifes misfortunes. Administrative cases were filed against him, which resulted to his demotion in rank. Out of anger and desperation, he sought revenge by shooting his superior, the Director of the Health Service and killing the Aide de Camp when he threw a hand grenade inside Camp Crame multi-purpose hall during the 13th Health Service Anniversary Fellowship Night. Since that 2005 incident, the PNPGH Neuro-Psychiatric (NP) section has received several referrals from the NCRPO and other Police Regional Offices (PROs) to assess certain police officers charged with chronic absenteeism, alcoholism, drug use, malingering and poor interpersonal relations among other things. In line with the PNP Integrated Transformation Program 2030 (Performance Governance System), the Committee on GAD Responsiveness (CGDR) was formed in 2009 with DPCR as the Office primarily responsible for gender equality programs and activities for its mainstreaming. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), an international financial institution, has been helping CGDR in the PNP with its corps of Technical Assistants (TAs). GAD programs/projects/activities will be implemented in order to promote a gender-sensitive organization through managing stressors. The Health Service (HS) serves as the head of the subcommittee for the Stress Management Program with focus on the NeuroPsychiatric Section (Allied Svcs Div) and Regional Psychologist of the Regional Health Svc for its implementation. IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Stress a condition typically characterized by symptoms of mental and physical tension or strain, as depression or hypertension that can result from a reaction to a situation in which a person feels threatened or pressured. 2. Stress Management - a set of techniques and programs intended to help people deal more effectively with stress in their lives by analyzing the specific stressors and taking positive actions to minimize their effects (http://medicaldictionary.thefreedictionary.com/stress+management). 3. Gender refers to roles, attitude and values assigned by culture and society to women and men. These roles, attitudes and values define the behaviours of women and men and the relationship between them. 4. Gender and Development (GAD) refers to the development perspective and process that are participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices; seeks to transform society's social, economic, and political structures and questions the validity of the gender roles they ascribed to women and men; contends that women are active agents of development and not just passive recipients of development assistance; and stresses the need of women to organize themselves and participate in political processes to strengthen their legal rights. (R.A. 9710)

5. Gender Mainstreaming - refers to the strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic, and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. It is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies, or programs in all areas and at all levels. (R.A. 9710) V. MISSION

To continuously improve service to the people in accordance with its mandate, the Philippine National Police (PNP) shall establish and institutionalize emotional and mental health services to PNP personnel. VI. EXECUTION

A. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS The Philippine National Police shall strengthen and institutionalize the implementation of a comprehensive public safety development program on Stress Management. This will address the concern of equipping PNP personnel with adequate coping mechanism/strategies by reducing stress signs as well as enhancing their ability to handle and manage stress encountered in their tour of duty and their everyday lives. DPRM shall be responsible for putting into place the necessary mechanisms with the implementation of stress management in the personnel development program. The Directorate for Police Community Relations (DPCR), in the furtherance of its mandated functions as the PNP GAD primary responsible Office, shall serve as the focal point of this program with the Health Service (HS) as the Office Primarily responsible (OPR) for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the PNP Stress Management Program in the conduct of seminar, workshop and training activities pertaining thereto. To enhance the capabilities of police officers designated to implement the program, the respective Medical Officers (Psychiatrist/Psychologist) of HS shall provide training opportunities locally and abroad. These police officers shall be responsible in the implementation of this program in the National Headquarters and the Regional Level. Stress management module will be included in all PNP mandatory trainings and on special courses as the need arises. This activity will form part of the organizations capacity building. B. PHASES OF IMPLEMENTATION Phase 1: Formulation of internal policy framework and strengthening of structural mechanisms with the following activities: a.) Training for the HS Psychologists on Stress Management Program. b.) Recruitment of additional Psychiatrists and Psychologists to be deployed in the HS regional offices c.) Research for expansion for NP Section to become a Division and submission of proposal to NAPOLCOM and DBM.

Phase 2: Cross-cutting implementation of major components of the program, specifically, strengthening conduits at all levels, monitoring and supervising the program, advocacy and education. Phase 3: Monitoring and evaluation. A monitoring and evaluation framework shall form part of the whole program for control and review at each phase and adjustment for efficiency and assessment on the results or outcome. Phase 4: Institutionalization and Mechanism for sustainability of program initiatives. C. TASKS 1. TDPCR a. Designated as overall supervisor of this LOI. b. Review, evaluate and reconstruct as may be appropriate, some provisions of existing operational policies procedures, guidelines to make it attuned to the major components of this program, with emphasis on the feedback and reporting mechanism and the collation of data from reports of the PNPGH and the regional health service units. c. Coordinate with other Directorates and PNP Offices as stakeholders on the production of complimentary information, education and communication (IEC) materials aimed at raising the awareness of both the police and the community on the advantages of a comprehensive Stress Management Program for PNP personnel. d. Conduct appropriate trainings and seminars in coordination with DHRDD and HS to acquaint police officers and the public on the policies and guidelines governing the Stress Management Program in coordination with the HS. e. Perform other tasks as may be directed. 2. TDPRM a. Develop policy for the comprehensive health program for PNP personnel. b. Plan and prioritize the possible recruitment of additional medical personnel (Psychiatrist/Psychologist) to be assigned at HS and its regional offices to strengthen its NP section. c. Perform other tasks as may be directed. 3. TDO a. Review, evaluate and reconstruct, as may be appropriate, some provisions of existing operational policies, procedures, guidelines to make this LOI attuned to the police operational procedures. b. Perform other tasks as may be directed. 4. TDPL a. Conduct research and technical study to upgrade NP section of HS to a Division and revise the organizational structure of HS. b. Perform corollary tasks and as may be directed. 5. TDHRDD a. Formulate a human resource development plan on the PNP Stress Management Program (PSMP) system, in coordination with HS, DPL and PMO aimed at improving the existing training and education of police officers to enhance their knowledge, skills and ability to cope with stress that they encounter personally and/or in the performance of their duties. b. Perform other tasks as may be directed.

6. TDL a. Plan, prioritize and provide available logistical support to the NP section of the HS. b. Perform other tasks as may be directed. 7. TDC a. Plan, prioritize and allocate additional financial support to the NP section of the HS. b. Perform other tasks as may be directed. 8. Director, Health Service (HS) a. PNP Office Primarily Responsible (OPR) in the implementation of this LOI. b. Coordinate closely with DPCR and ADB Technical Assistance team in conducting training of trainers and in the formulation of stress management tools. And to see to it that it shall be able to offer the same services in its regional offices. c. Facilitate and ensure the strict and successful implementation of he provisions in this LOI with the aim in view of keeping PNP members/personnel capable of coping with stresses thereby serve and protect the Filipino citizenry. d. Shall formulate implementing program and activities to make this LOI operationally viable and cost effective. e. Perform other tasks as may be directed. 9. Chief, PIO a. Issue press releases on various initiatives of the PNP, particularly in conducting nationwide stress management seminars and workshop trainings as part of the PNP Stress Management Program. b. Perform other tasks as may be directed. 10. Chief of Staff, PMO a. Provide research assistance to DPCR and HS on the Stress Management Program for all policemen/policewomen. b. Perform other tasks as may be directed. 11. RDs, PROs a. Strengthen structural mechanisms of the Regional Health Svc as focal point in the implementation of the program, thereby allowing it to monitor, coordinate, control and supervise the Stress Management Program at their respective levels. b. Designate the Regional Health Service Chief (RHS) as Overall Supervisor in the implementation of this program. c. Conduct advocacy and continuing education in line with the comprehensive health development program for PNP personnel. d. Perform other tasks as may be directed. VII. Coordinating Instructions a. All Chiefs/Heads of offices shall disseminate the foregoing policies and guidelines to their respective personnel immediately following the issuance of this LOI. b. Tasked offices shall render an initial report of compliance in writing and as the need arises upon receipt of the approved copy of this LOI. Periodic reports shall be submitted to DPCR as may be appropriate.

c. All regular reports must be submitted to the Chief, PNP (Attn: TDPCR) d. Lateral and vertical coordination is authorized and highly recommended. VIII. EFFECTIVITY LOI Lusog-Kaisipan shall take effect upon approval.

JESUS A VERSOZA Police Director General Chief, Philippine National Police Distribution: Command Group D-Staff RDs, PROs Dirs, NSUs TIG, IAS P-Staff PACER