The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday launched the country’s first all-women police station in Maria, Siquijor in Central Visayas.
The police station, named “Mariang Pulis,” has 21 policewomen, the ideal police force for a Class C municipality.
Brig Gen Debold Sinas, Central Visayas regional police director, backed the move.
“This will strongly advance women empowerment in promoting public safety and security services at all levels of police units and offices in the region,” Sinas said in a statement.
Before the launch, the police station only had six policewomen.
Col Angela Rejano, provincial director of the Siquijor Provincial Police Office, profiled all the assigned policewomen in the province and selected those who will undertake capacity-development training. The policewomen were trained in driving, shooting, arresting techniques, and other police operation and intervention procedures such as checkpoint, automated fingerprint identification system and first aid. “Having initiated this new concept of gender and development for policewomen in Siquijor, the Mariang Pulis signals the time to move forward in promoting the vision and mission of the PNP in creating an opportunity for women to strengthen their role in the context of policing in the law enforcement pillar,” Rejano said. Maria is a fifth-class municipality with a total land area of 53.37 square kilometres, which constitutes 15% of Siquijor’s total land area.
Formerly known as Kangminya after a famous native woman, it was renamed Maria in honour of Our Lady of Divine Providence, the town’s patron saint.
Siquijor Gov. Zaldy Samson Villa, Department of the Interior and Local Government-Siquijor Provincial Director Kenneth Kilat and Maria town Mayor Menard Asoc attended the launching of the Mariang Pulis station.