PNP once again suspends BMI as a requirement for promotion

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has again suspended the use of the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a requirement for uniformed personnel promotion.

In a memorandum dated January 18, 2023, PNP Chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. approved the suspension of the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a requirement in the computation of the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) rating.

Azurin, on the other hand, approved the conventional computation, which simply takes into account event or exercise performance.

According to Police Colonel Redrico Maranan, PNP Chief Information Officer, “this means that only the result of the event/exercise like push-up, sit-up, run, etc shall be the basis for the result of the annual PFT of all our personnel

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the body mass index (BMI) is a measurement of body fat based on an individual’s height and weight. This measurement is applicable to both adult males and females.

BMI is calculated using the metric system by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared (or by multiplying the height by itself), or BMI= kg/m2.

According to experts, a BMI less than 18.5 is considered underweight, and a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is deemed normal. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI over 30 is termed obese.

When BMI was integrated into the PNP physical fitness examination under the leadership of retired PNP Chief Archie Gamboa, it accounted for thirty percent of the entire PFT performance evaluation.

The performance on exercises, on the other hand, accounted for 70% of the PFT evaluation. The traditional event/exercises include sit-ups, push-ups, sprinting, and jogging.

Gamboa pushed for the inclusion of the BMI to improve the PNP’s image in the face of social media portrayals of police officers with bulging stomachs as corrupt, lazy, and undisciplined.

Some police officers complained that it was difficult to comply with the BMI policy or that it made them feel discriminated against, prompting a recommendation to halt its implementation during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.