The change of the Police Community Relations Group into the Police Community Affairs and Development Group (PCADG) was borne with the approval of the PNP PCAD Master Plan “Tagataguyod” 2019. Many adjustments were made from this change as stipulated under a PNP memorandum circular. Since the PNP started in 1990 under RA 6975 law, the police organization must function as a community and service-oriented agency mandated by RA 8551 law. The police community concept has then operated under “Sambayan” and “Santinig” until 2019. Master Plan “Tagatuguyud” 2019 has optimized community policing functions; it is now working under three dimensions: Information Dissemination Operations, Public Information, and Community Affairs Development.
The law mandates the police organization to work or be a police community-oriented agency, the name of the unit before and today could have been more realistic with Police-Community (Relations Group/Affairs and Development Group). What is within the hyphen? The dash presence prescribes the mandate, and the dash connects the two words into one. Thus, it sounds fitting for the police and community as one. It is one word, two entities joined by a dash to function and perform as one. The hyphen has indeed embarked on the law’s intent prescribing the PNP organization as a community-police-oriented agency.
PBGEN ERIC E NOBLE, the current Director of PCADG and the game-changer for the unit, has not only been embarking on the functions of PCADG to be at the forefront in the propaganda war in the virtual world, upgrading the tools needed for the PCADG functions to hit its relevancy but also on the administrative aspect of the unit like: the mandatory PCR training eligibility requirement for all personnel and to undergo training at CMO schools (CRS, Philippine Army, and Philippine Navy); strengthening the capability by continuously increasing its personnel; activation of the 17 Regional PCAD units including the opening of its 17 chiefs or TO positions; lastly, the possible incorporation of the hyphen in the unit name itself, the relevancy of the hyphen.
The short ten (10) months assignment with PCADG has indeed opened another mark on my policing career. The continued pep talks from my Director regarding the work functions, guidance, knowledge, and the absorption of new and vast expertise in the three different mind-wracking courses offered by three units of the AFP have truly leveled me up to be better than myself before joining the PCADG unit.
If indeed, Police-Community Affairs and Development Group is to be incorporated and approved, just a simple hyphen changes everything. Equating great leaders and mentors, they are easily identified in terms of simple things they see in their minds, just like with a hyphen joining two words to achieve the mandate given by law—the hyphen in PBGEN ERIC E NOBLE.
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By PLTCOL BYRON FILOG ALLATOG
