BATANGAS CITY, Batangas — In a bid to prepare police forces physically and mentally for the upcoming national and local elections, the Batangas Police Provincial Office (BPPO) offered free healthcare services to its personnel.

"I want my personnel to be physically, mentally, and emotionally ready. The police force needs to be more than operationally proficient — we need to be well-prepared in every aspect, especially for the forthcoming midterm elections," said BPPO Chief PCol. Jacinto Malinao Jr. in a media briefing on Tuesday.

"Emotions are high, temperatures are high. So critical situations come in [and] I want to make sure my police officers can handle situations like these, such as managing complaints coming from candidates," Malinao added.

To ensure the well-being of his team, Malinao said they reached out to St. Luke's Medical Center (SLMC) for support, aiming to help police personnel "perform their best" and ensure peaceful, secure elections.

For SLMC Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Virginia Flores, the partnership is a meaningful way to give back to the community.

"We're doing this partnership to support our public servants, especially the Philippine National Police. Because 24/7, they are really protecting us. It's a simple way of saying thank you and appreciating all they are doing for our country," Flores explained.

She noted that the initiative was the brainchild of Malinao, and the SLMC simply helped bring it to life.

"We totally believe that doing this will cause a ripple effect with other regions. [Hopefully], other police officers, directors, and regional heads will see this and see the beauty of having a preventive case for their police officers," she added.

Among the health services provided were screenings for heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.

SLMC also hosted discussions on mental health, nutrition, and dental care.

(Photo by Gabriela Baron)