STA. BARBARA -- This "global Filipino cop" taught his men to think and work "outside the box." And they are reaping the change they somehow embraced. "Thank God, it pays to love the children."

This was the initial reaction of Sta. Barbara Police Chief Eric Noble when asked what he can say about the national recognition he is about to receive -- as one of the Country's Outstanding Policemen in Service or Cops 2009.

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"To my fellow policemen: Just do it. When you do good, it will end up building yourself," were his words of wisdom to fellow policemen, especially the younger ones.

From the time he assumed post as police chief, he started injecting ideas and programs beyond the conventional police norms that policemen are accustomed to doing at their respective police units.

Among his accomplishments as police officer include the human development programs he painstakingly introduced for the benefit of the local policemen and the townspeople they are serving [all in sync with the PNP (Philippine National Police) Transformation Program]. He was also chosen as one of the outstanding policemen in the Philippines.

Noble is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1992. He is a native of Barangay Banaoang here. He and wife Cecilia has a 13-year-old son named EJ.

Joining him from Pangasinan is PO3 Arturo Melchor Jr. who is assigned at the Human Rights Affairs Office of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office.

Cops is an annual joint project of Metrobank Foundation and the Rotary Club of New Manila East, in coordination with the Philippine National Police.

The awarding ceremonies will be held in Malacañang with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferring the award.

The annual search for Cops "seeks to identify gallant men and women in the police force who are able to work with the community to prevent and solve crime. Every year, four Commissioned Officers, and six Non-Commissioned Officers win this prestigious award."

Noble introduced at the Sta. Barbara Police Station livelihood projects (involving both the policemen and the community) such as "Training on Paper Mache Coffin and Bags Making," "Malunggay Noddles and other by-products" both with the personal assistance of Commissioner Deanna Lorenzana-Gregorio of the National Anti-Poverty Commission-Persons with Disabilities sector.

He launched the monthly program "Feed and Read to Lead" for children from indigent families. This is supported by non-government organizations like the Kalinga ng Ama shelter and other religious groups here, the Kiwanis Club of Dagupena, the Rotary, and the PMA Class of 1976 led by PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa and General Leopoldo Bataoil of the PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Northern Luzon.

"The Feed and Read to Lead program is a holistic and hybrid feeding program that addresses the problem that hungry people are angry people. It caters to malnourished bodies as well as hungry minds, souls, and pockets. The idea is to not only feed, but more so to lead poor families into viable and sustainable futures," he explained.

He introduced anti-illegal drugs and anti-frat gang campaigns; he organized heritage tours of students to different areas in the Pangasinan to inculcate in the minds of the heroism of their forefathers; and institutionalize the memory of Sta. Barbara heroes by researching on their life and heroisms, naming each room/office at the police station after these heroes.

While assigned at the PNP's Directorate for Personnal and Records Management at Camp Crame, he caused the discovery of "ghost cops" who were regularly receiving their salaries on the 15th and 30th of the month. It saved the National Government about P3 million per month on salaries and benefits.

Noble was dubbed by his peers as "global Filipino cop," having served in United Nations (UN) missions twice, in Haiti and Kosovo.

He said his UN Mission experiences inspired him to write the book "Gearing up to be a global cop (A Reviewer for aspiring UN Civilian Police)"

"We have a lot of policemen qualified to serve in the UN Missions. The only hindrance is they don't know what to do or how to go about it. The book aims to guide them and help them pass the different examinations and interviews," he explained.