PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Archie Gamboa is studying the possibility for a different body mass index (BMI) measurement to the 6,000 members of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO–COR).
Gamboa, during his recent visit to PRO-COR in Camp Bado Dangwa, said there is a need to study and look for the possibility of applying a different method BMI measurement for Cordillera police.
“We would gladly take that into consideration, joining us in our command visit is our Director for Human Resource and Doctrine Development who is in charge of the BMI and probably during the command conference, we will discuss this,” Gamboa said.
BMI is strictly used as a basis before a police recruit is hired as a member of the PNP.
The BMI monitoring will also have an effect to a police personnel seeking promotion.
“All police personnel of PRO-COR will be subjected to the strict monitoring of the BMI. In fact, in November last year, Police Major General Amador Corpus, the director of Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine reminded PRO - COR of the strict implementation of the BMI,” Gamboa added.
BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women, according to local the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Using the metric system, it is computed via dividing a person’s weight expressed in kilogram, by a person’s height in meters squared (or multiplying the height by itself), or BMI= kg/m².
According to experts, a BMI less than 18.5 is considered underweight, while those between 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, while a BMI between 25-29.9 is considered overweight, while those who has more than 30 BMI are considered obese.
The suggestion to use another method of measurement for Cordillera police was raised due to the difference in built of PRO – COR personnel who are considered short and stocky as compared to other regional commands in the country.