New PNP office uniform out: Lighter blue, belly-friendly

Members of the PNP top brass led by Director General Alan Purisima (center) model the new look during Monday’s flag ceremony in Camp Crame. PNP-PIO PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–After 17 years, the Philippine National Police is changing its look.

PNP Director General Alan Purisima and other senior police officials have begun modeling the proposed new attire of the force, after an internal survey favored the sartorial shift.

Made of cotton, the new general office uniform consists of a blue polo jack and pants that are shades lighter than the ones in current use. It looks more casual and can de-emphasize those extra inches in the middle for officers losing the battle of the bulge.

In a press briefing, PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac expressed confidence that their next set of uniforms, subject to final approval by the National Police Commission and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, would “command respect” from the public.

“The uniforms will be functional, durable and comfortable to allow policemen to perform their jobs. It’s something that the policemen can be proud of,” Sindac said. “The material of our current uniform is no longer appropriate for the changing weather conditions. We also wanted to differentiate our patrol uniform from our general office uniform.”

The new set would also have “security features to regulate its production and to ensure outsiders will not be able to make fake police uniforms,” he added.

The plan to replace the police attire was a result of an internal survey the PNP conducted last year, in which the majority of the respondents agreed that it was time for the 148,000-strong PNP to have a new set of office and patrol uniforms.

This will be the third change since the PNP’s reorganization in 1991. The current dark blue attire was introduced in 1997. Prior to this, PNP personnel wore khakis.

Sindac maintained that the procurement of the new uniforms would undergo the regular bidding process and would not entail additional expenses, saying the change would be timed with the distribution of the policemen’s P14,000 clothing allowance, which is released every three years.

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