A SPEAKERS bureau will be established by the Police Regional Office - Cordillera (PRO - COR) in its efforts to assist the Department of Health and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to further inform the public on the spread of the Coronavirus disease (Covid -19).

Police Brigadier General Rhodel Sermonia, acting director of the Police Community Relationship (PCR) of the Philippine National Police ( PNP) explained the Coronavirus Awareness Response and Empowerment ( CARE) infodemic drive will soon be cascaded to the city, provincial and municipal police stations in the Cordillera Administrative Region ( CAR) starting January.

“This CARE program is a primary project of our Chief PNP Police General Debold Sinas which has four stages that will be cascaded by the speakers bureau to police stations such as the provision of trauma care as assistance and health tests response in partnership with local government units, the implementation of the four minute exercise, and the establishment of station health units to be cascaded by the health services unit of the regional command,” Sermonia said.

Under the CARE program, selected speakers will undergo training in public speaking and will be tasked to reiterate the importance of applying the health department’s campaign for mothers and the community to be aware of BIDA or “Bawal ang walang mask, Idisinfect ang face shields, Distansya sa bawat isa, at Alamin ang tamang impormasion.”

“This program seeks to decentralize functions of the regional health unit to health stations from units at the station level. This will also help police regional isolation facilities not to be overwhelmed by police personnel found to be positive for the virus who can now be isolated in Covid-19 health facilities in the station level,” Sermonia stated.

Once the roll off of the CARE speakers bureau starts in January next year, selected speakers composed of six police personnel in the station level will be tasked to go to community organized

health briefings which targets mothers as audiences to help in recascading the importance of BIDA to their family members.

The PCR group undertakes and orchestrates program and activities in partnership with concerned government agencies, the community, and volunteer organizations in order to prevent crime and attain a safe and peaceful environment, aside from delivering valid and correct information particularly during this time of the health pandemic.

“This CARE infodemic drive will also serve as a template for future information campaigns to be instituted by the PNP nationwide such as information on ELCAC, illegal drugs, terrorism among others. It is a program that will help empower our communities particularly on deciding the best future for their communities through the support of government like their Philippine National Police in the Cordillera Region,” Sermonia added.