Annual Institutional Strengthening – National Police College

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The National Police College held its annual Institutional Strengthening on May 11-12, 2022 at the Club Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas. Sixty (60) personnel attended the activity, which was to take a step away from day-to-day work, to have fun, and most importantly, to build team spirit. Specifically, it aimed to motivate employees to work together, encourage stronger relationships, inspire collaboration, and strengthen trust and communication.

The Team Building activities started at 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., wherein four (4) teams (Red, Yellow, Blue, and White) competed in the following games which aimed to help employees focus on the importance of teamwork and what is needed to make a better team:

Chant (inspires creativity and fosters teamwork)
Poke the Eggs (trust, communication, and cooperation)
Caterpillar Race (teamwork and coordination)
Hamster Carousel (communication, cooperation, and coordination)
Blow Me Up (teamwork and strategic skills)
Lava Walk (teamwork, coordination, and strategic skills)
Longest Line (teamwork and strategic skills)
Blanket Volleyball (teamwork and strategic skills)

During the Dinner/Socials, the personnel were able to have fun and unwind after the day’s activities. Additional activities were conducted to further foster teamwork and interpersonal relationship among employees.

On the second day of the institutional strengthening, the much-awaited and significant activity “Coastal Clean-up” initiated by the NPC Director: DR. ROMEO S. MAGSALOS, in connection with the ZERO PLASTIC BAG & STYROFOAM ADVOCACY PROGRAM, an Anti-Global Warming Advocacy Program of NPC, was held at Terrazas de Punta Fuego. For the last five years since 2015 (excluding 2020 and 2021), it had been a traditional part of the annual institutional strengthening, that brought about a more meaningful experience and aimed to increase environmental awareness among personnel. The Coastal clean-up has become a tradition that aims to:

engage personnel to clean up the garbage that has washed up onshore and remove trash composed mostly by plastic, which is very hazardous to marine life;
encourage them to take an active role in the preservation and cleaning up of the ocean; and
change the behaviors that cause pollution by raising the level of consciousness and awareness regarding the extent of the environmental degradation plastic bags and Styrofoam can cause.

After the activity, personnel are expected to be mindful how they dispose their trash, to replace the disposables with reusable, to consume less, and to reuse and recycle. Without the belief in the advocacy, all actions are insincere. Thus, the NPC Director encouraged the personnel to believe in it, as well as show support in advocacies such as “Maliit na Basura Ibulsa Muna”, because individual and collective action will have an impact. Observance not only in their homes but in the office as well is a simple act of showing support to the “No to Plastic bags and styrofoam Campaign.”

The National Police College and the Director hoped that the personnel not only enjoyed but learned lessons from yesterday’s activities which they could apply in the workplace. How to be a team player or team worker and not as an individualist; why physical presence is important for it is a symbol that one is ready to participate and contribute to the team; and no matter what duties/responsibilities one has, there is no one who is insignificant because each and everyone is a part of the institution.