Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11549)
The short title of Republic Act No. 11549 is the "PNP, BFP, BJMP and BuCor Height Equity Act."
The main purpose of Republic Act No. 11549 is to lower the minimum height requirement for applicants of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
The new minimum height requirement is at least 1.57 meters for males and 1.52 meters for females applying to PNP, BFP, BJMP, and BuCor.
Yes, a waiver for the height requirement shall be automatically granted to applicants belonging to cultural communities or indigenous peoples. Waivers for height and age may be granted specifically for BFP, BJMP, and BuCor applicants from these groups.
RA 11549 amends Republic Act No. 6975, Republic Act No. 9263, and Republic Act No. 10575.
Section 30 of RA 6975 (PNP), Section 4 of RA 9263 (BFP and BJMP), and Section 11 of RA 10575 (BuCor) were amended to lower the height requirements.
Yes, new BuCor applicants must not be less than twenty-one (21) or more than forty (40) years of age.
Yes, those already in service upon the effectivity of the Act shall be given five (5) years to obtain the minimum educational qualification and eligibility, with subsidiary assistance as provided in the Act.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Justice, in coordination with the Civil Service Commission, National Police Commission, PNP, BFP, BJMP, and BuCor, are tasked to promulgate the necessary rules and regulations.
The Act took effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation, following its approval on May 26, 2021.