THE PHILIPPINE Army has commissioned the UST Center for Research and Movement Science (CRMS) to establish a fitness standard and design a physical fitness test exclusive for its soldiers through a nationwide study.
According to College of Rehabilitation Sciences Prof. Cheryl Peralta, the Army wants to standardize its physical fitness exams and replace foreign fitness tests with a test that really suits Filipino soldiers.
“The AFP has been using different fitness standards ranging from Australian, American, and those of other western countries,” Peralta said.
The Center has finished collating data from regional bases in Luzon and Visayas and will soon start the Mindanao leg of the research, she said.
Since April, the Center has been collating data by visiting military bases in the country.
“The center is now gathering data by giving out physical fitness tests to soldiers in the different regions of the country in order to establish (fitness) standards and help the Army come up with a fitness test,” Peralta said.
The AFP project was the biggest break of the Center since it was established in 2001.
Peralta said the project is a good indicator that major entities, like the AFP, acknowledge the capabilities of the CRMS.
The reports of the research will be released in September.
