THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE (PNP) has gone green.

With the implementation of a ?paperless? system of communication, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has reduced its use of paper by at least 50 percent, according to its chief information officer.

?We reuse printed paper for internal memos, plus the paperless communication [system was] launched months ago so a 50-percent reduction on paper use is a safe assumption,? Supt. Rommel Miranda told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

?We save a lot of paper and it?s faster [way to communicate],? Miranda said.

The paperless communication system was an offshoot of the PNP Reporting System project which was conceptualized by the newly created Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management (DICTM).

The DICTM, chaired by Chief Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula, held a conference at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City last week. The conference assessed the capabilities of police communication systems and discussed areas of improvement.

Under the PNP Reporting System project, reports submitted to the national headquarters should be sent electronically. This was expected to cut down on data transmission time, reduce the volume of report requirements, streamline paper communication and improve the monitoring of crimes and response time, Miranda said.

?ICT (information and communications technology) is the future of policing in the Philippines,? Gatdula told the Inquirer.

He noted that the PNP, compared to its counterpart in neighboring countries, has been lagged behind in this area.