PHILIPPINE NAVY

Staff Writing
Hand Guide
 Philippine Navy
Staff Writing Hand Guide

Copyright 2017
Office of the Chief of Naval Staff

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 2

 FLAG OFFICER IN COMMAND
PHILIPPINE NAVY
Naval Station Jose Andrada
2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Message

The crafting of the PN Staff Writing Hand Guide supports the aim
of the Philippine Navy to be a world-class navy that our maritime nation
can be proud of. More than our thrusts for operational and strategic
excellence, we also endeavor for a holistic advancement, which includes
the quality of our naval documents.

Through this hand guide, we take another step forward in terms

of professionalizing our navy and its systems. We cultivate and further
improve our written documents as a reflection of our excellence and
professionalism. Just like our processes and strategies, our written
documents must also be improved in a way that will make our jobs easier
and our service better.

With the few but important points presented in this hand guide,
we must aim to take the standards of the navy writing to a higher level.
Therefore, everyone is encouraged to follow the writing guidelines
contained in this hand guide.

RONALD JOSEPH S MERCADO

Vice Admiral, AFP

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 3

 VICE COMMANDER
PHILIPPINE NAVY
Naval Station Jose Andrada
2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Message

The Philippine Navy (PN) uses written communication in its official

and daily correspondence, both within and outside our institution. We
put everything in writing to have permanency of records and effective
communication that leads to efficient operations.

To achieve clear and concise naval documents, this PN Staff Writing

Hand Guide prescribes the use of plain writing that will allow readers to
easily comprehend what is written. It does not only supplement the PN
Staff Writing Manual, but it also introduces resolutions to the common
issues observed in the different written communication. With this hand
guide, all officers, enlisted personnel and civilian employees are then
expected to write simpler, but better naval communication.

As a key element to our tasks and responsibilities as a naval

institution, effective writing should be given weight and constantly
pursued. With the PN Staff Writing Manual and this additional PN Staff
Writing Hand Guide, we are assured that we have ready references to
achieve effective naval communication.

RAFAEL G MARIANO
Rear Admiral, AFP

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 4

 CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF
PHILIPPINE NAVY
Naval Station Jose Andrada
2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Foreword

As part of its main functions, the Office of the Chief of Naval Staff
(OCNS) processes daily all forms of written naval communication prior
to submission to the Flag Officer In Command, Philippine Navy (FOIC,
PN). The processing of communication involves receiving, editing and
monitoring written correspondence to and from concerned individuals/
groups inside or outside the PN. With such crucial tasking, the OCNS
recognizes the value of well written communication which makes the
job of processing naval communication, especially editing, easier.

Good writing is an indispensable medium of effective naval

communication. Well written communication is simple, clear and
concise. It effectively relays the intended message to the reader in a
single reading. Hence, effective writing is a requirement to speed
up the paper trail and, ultimately, decision making in the Navy. Such
requirement can only be achieved through proper use of the elements of
the English language including grammar, tone and style, among others.

Although grammatically correct and error-free writing should

always be the objective of staff writers in the Navy, the OCNS still
comes across unacceptable written documents which significantly slow
down communication processing. Consequently, the OCNS published
this handbook to significantly cut down the editing time by helping
Navy staff writers write better. This hand guide combines guidelines
from PN and other credible writing manuals and the rules of standard
English language. The goal is not only to achieve faster processing
of communication but also to establish the means to have clear and
straightforward correspondence within and outside the PN, most

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 5

 especially with stakeholders and partner organizations.

This hand guide is published at a high point in our Navy’s

modernization efforts. To keep up with the times, we intend to fully
transform our organization, including the quality of our communication.
The implementation of this handbook brings us one step closer to being
a truly modernized Navy.

GAUDENCIO C COLLADO JR
Rear Admiral, AFP

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 6

 Preface

The specific vision of the OCNS to have clear and well-written naval
documents is the main inspiration behind the creation of the PN Staff Writing
Hand Guide. Such vision corresponds to faster processing and approval of
all forms of written communication which will benefit all writers, editors,
approving authority and the Philippine Navy (PN). The output expected
is naval communication that can be understood by the reader in one rapid
reading and is free of errors in substance, format and style.

This hand guide endorses the use of plain writing to have clearer and
easily understandable naval communication. As one business writing book,
Plain English at Work claims, many US organizations including the US military
are recommending the use of plain English because it “is far easier to write
and to be understood by readers” (Bailey, 1996). Correspondingly, Senator
Grace Poe introduced the Plain Writing in Philippine Public Service Act to the
Senate to encourage the use of plain writing system in government agencies
for faster transaction and simpler administrative procedures.

While this hand guide emphasizes the use of plain writing, it follows already
published guidelines in naval writing. In fact, it draws from the principles of
plain writing discussed in Section 1-2 (Principles of Good Writing) of the PN
Staff Writing Manual. However, further discussion on plain writing techniques
is provided in this hand guide. It also incorporates suggestions to address the
common writing issues observed in actual communication processed by the
Office of the Chief of Naval Staff. Such issues which include verbosity, voice,
ambiguity, tone and modals are emphasized in this handbook.

This hand guide serves as a ready reference designed to be handy and

concise in order to aid writers in drafting written communication. The pointers
provided are presented as simply as possible for easy comprehension;
the examples were drawn from actual naval documents to provide more
relevant guidelines. Overall, this handbook aims to help staff write better
communication, which will in turn aid in effective communication and
decision-making in the PN.

LCDR MARIE ANGELICA DC SISICAN PN Ms. Grizelle Q. Cereno

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 7

 Table of Contents

I. Foreword

II. Preface/Rationale

III. Table of Contents

IV. Plain Writing

V. Common Writing Issues

a. Verbosity

b. Voice

c. Ambiguity

d. Tone

e. Other Issues

i. Using Modals

ii. Using Prepositions (In, On, At)

iii. Writing Tables

iv. Numbers

v. Archaic/Legalese Terms

vi. Emphasizing Words/Statements

vii. Plagiarism

f. Techniques in Writing Standard Correspondence

Annex: Standard Formats of Common Naval Correspondence

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 8

Plain Writing

What is plain writing?

Plain writing is defined as “writing and preparations thereof that are clear, concise,
well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and
intended audience or constituents.” (Senate Bill 1092, 2013).

In 2013, an Act proposing the use of plain writing was introduced in the Senate of
the Philippines. The bill “calls for the use of simple, concise, easily understandable words
and phrases in all government documents. The intention is to avoid jargon, redundancy,
ambiguity and obscurity, and help citizens in availing [themselves of] government
services.”

The need for plain writing in naval communication

Recognizing the intentions of Senate Bill 1092, and the need to be more efficient in
providing services within and outside the organization, the Philippine Navy (PN) highly
encourages the use of plain writing. Written communication serves as the starting point
for the Navy’s execution of most of its functions and tasks. Hence, it is important that
from the beginning, everything put into writing is clear, straightforward and made simple.

Sailors and marines across all ranks including the Navy’s stakeholders will easily
understand instructions, procedures, letters, doctrines and other forms of communication
written in plain language over those written in a lengthy, verbose, ambiguous, legalese
and archaic manner. Naval communication prepared in plain writing will allow faster
comprehension, processing of requirements, decision-making and implementation of
tasks, and probably even save lives in extreme scenarios.

How to achieve plain writing quality in naval communication

Plain writing quality can be achieved by resolving the common writing issues navy
staff writers encounter in preparing communication, specifically verbosity, voice and
ambiguity. With the use of plain writing, staff writers will be able to send the message
clearly and expect a faster response or delivery of output.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 9

VERBOSITY

What is verbosity?

“Verbosity is using too many words than needed.”(Wydick, 2005). It generally

involves wordy sentences which convey unclear messages. As a consequence, the reader
receives too much information that creates confusion.

Oftentimes, naval staff writers present their ideas by exhausting all information on
the subject of their written document. Although this practice is understandable, it usually
results to verbosity. The US Army Writing Style Guide suggests using the “standard English
sentence order, subject-verb-object” for easily understandable communication (2013, p.
6).

Plain writing vs. verbosity

Plain writing avoids irrelevant details and lengthy sentences. As argued by the
International Association promoting Plain Legal Language (2014), “Whatever is not
pertinent must be excluded, no matter how interesting or correct it may be in itself.” (p.
11). Adopting this principle in writing naval communication will undoubtedly cut down the
length of documents and produce clearer messages.

How to avoid verbosity

• Remove unnecessary words without losing the meaning (Wydick, 2005); “Use short
words, keep sentences short (average of 15 words)” (US Army, 2013).

VERBOSE CONCISE

In view of the foregoing provisions Based on Law 1, Law 2, Law 3 and the
of the Law1, the Law 2, the Law decision of the board, this Command
3 and the decisions of the board, recommends that the accountant
the undersigned respectfully should sign government contracts.

submits that the Accountant is

indeed required to sign government
contracts.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 10

 VERBOSE CONCISE

In the absence of a clear and detailed As there is no clear and detailed plan
plan from the higher headquarters on PN CEIS support from higher
on the PN CEIS support, particularly headquarters, particularly on the
on the interoperability of interoperability of communications
equipment, a general directive
communications equipment, there
should be issued to PN units.
is a need to come up with a general
directive that shall serve as an
initiating directive in order for the PN
units to plan their respective CEIS
support to their tasked units.

• Shorten clauses into phrases and, if possible, phrases into base words.

Some phrases with three to five words may be replaced with one or two words.
Clauses starting with who, which, that, it is, or there are can be shortened into phrases
(Wydick, 2005).

LENGTHY CONCISE

The personnel who is in charge of the The personnel in charge of the

activity will shoulder the cost that activity will shoulder the cost of all
will cover all the requirements. requirements.

The said classification allows for the The classification allows the above
above companies to charge higher companies to charge higher for
for their services, which should not services. This should not be the case
be the case since Naval Station A, since Naval Station A, Camp B and
Naval Base C were established mainly
Camp B and Naval Base C are PN
to support Command Headquarters
installations that were established
and are mostly situated with housing
to mainly support the Command
units.
Headquarters, and are mostly
situated with housing units for PN
officers and personnel.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 11

• Use base verbs instead of nominalizations (Wydick, 2005)

A verb that is changed into a noun (i.e., act into action, assume into assumption, and
conclude into draw conclusions) is called a nominalization (Henning, 2010). Sentences
that use nominalization to replace verbs commonly add excess words. Use base verbs to
have concise sentences.

NOMINALIZATION BASE VERBS

The PN representative gave a The PN representative presented

presentation on the proposed the proposed Standing Operating
Standing Operating Procedures Procedures (SOP).
(SOP).

The personnel provided assistance The personnel assisted during the PN

during the conduct of the PN anniversary celebration.
anniversary celebration.

The PN Jazz Ensemble will render The PN Jazz Ensemble will entertain
entertainment to the guests after the the guests after the remarks of the
remarks of the Keynote Speaker. Keynote Speaker.

VOICE

What is voice?

“Voice refers to whether or not the subject is the actor in the sentence.” (Bailey,
1996). Sentences can be written in the active or passive voice. In the active voice, the
subject is the actor or ‘doer’ of the verb in the sentence. In the passive voice, the subject
is not the actor or ‘doer’ but the one being acted upon by the verb.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 12

Plain writing vs. passive voice

Instead of the passive voice that can make a sentence wordy, use the active voice.
Remove unnecessary strain and confusion on your reader (Bailey, 1996). Use active verbs
instead of passive verbs since the latter only promotes using wasted words. Not only
do passive verbs add length, but they also redirect attention from the beginning of the
sentence where the reader initially looks for the actor and the action.

In the book Concise is Nice, the author suggests that, one way to correct passive
verbs use is to ask: “Who is doing what to whom in this sentence?” then rewrite the
sentence focusing on three key elements: the actor, the action, and the object of the
action” (Henning, 2010). However, the passive voice is used if the receiver, event, or result
is more important than the person who is doing the action. The following examples show
that sentences in the passive voice become simpler when written in the active voice.

PASSIVE VOICE ACTIVE VOICE

Exercise Y will be participated by Thirteen ships from nine countries

nine different countries with a total will participate in the different
of 13 ships participating in different events of Exercise Y.
events.

A number of procedures for optimum The PN will prepare procedures

performance of the precision-guided for optimum performance of the
munitions, including maintenance, precision-guided munitions including
will be prepared by the PN. maintenance.

The costs to be incurred for this The Command will shoulder the
activity will be borne by the costs of the activity amounting to
Command amounting to Zero Pesos Zero Pesos (PhP00.00).
(PhP00.00).

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 13

AMBIGUITY

What is ambiguity?

Writing that can be interpreted in various ways is ambiguous (Wydick, 2005).

Ambiguous sentences jeopardize the clarity of naval communication. Clarity can be
achieved by the proper placement of subordinate clauses, the use of the active voice,
or the use of parallel construction (Purdue Online Writing Lab “Sentence Clarity”, 2013).
Make sentences clear by dividing long sentences into shorter ones.

Ambiguity vs. plain writing

Long and winding sentences create ambiguity. Plain writing suggests more simple
sentences that remove ambiguity. However, in some cases, changing an ambiguous
sentence into a concrete and clearer version requires a few more lines (Bailey, 1996).
Plain writing does not always focus on shortening sentences, but prioritizes the clarity
and simplicity for better readability.

How to avoid ambiguous writing

• Choose and arrange words carefully; keep the subject, verb and object close together

Ambiguity can happen when too many details are sandwiched in between the three
key elements of the sentence: subject, verb and object. A sentence that immediately
presents the subject, verb and object close together is easily understood by the reader
(Wydick, 2005). In some cases, the sentence has to be broken down into two shorter
sentences to solve this issue.

AMBIGUOUS CLEAR

The event will bring together, to The event will bring together key
discuss various issues in the maritime organizations involved in the project
industry, the key organizations to discuss various issues in the
involved in the project. maritime industry.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 14

 AMBIGUOUS CLEAR

The aforementioned activity is a rare The activity is an opportunity for the

opportunity for the PN to send its PN to send personnel trained in the
personnel especially those who were fields of 1 & 2 to enhance their skills in
trained in the fields of Field 1 and an advanced research facility in the
U.S.
Field 2 in order to enhance their skills
and exposure in a functional and
serviceable research facility owned
and developed by a first world
country like Country X.

• Put modifiers close to the word they are modifying

Ambiguity can also be avoided by ensuring that modifiers are placed near to what
they are modifying (Wydick, 2005).

AMBIGUOUS CLEAR

Determine events that PN personnel Determine at-sea and on-shore

can participate in the exercise not events in the exercise where PN
only on the at-sea events but also in personnel can participate such as
the shore phase such as the Command Command and Control, sea rider/
and Control of the exercise, sea rider personnel exchange program, and
or personnel exchange program, and Subject Matter Expert exchanges.
Subject Matter Expert exchanges.

TONE

What is tone?

“Tone is how your writing comes across to your reader.” (Standards New Zealand,
2007). A writer’s tone may vary depending on the genre and topic. The tone of writing can
be formal, informal, subjective, objective, critical, etc.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 15

What should be the tone of naval communication?

Naval writing is always formal and objective. It is written in a business-like and

military tone and does away with some words used in casual written or spoken forms
of language. Although naval terminology can set the tone of communication within the
organization, it should be used sparingly in official correspondence especially when
communicating to a nonmilitary audience. Naval communication is written with a serious
and authoritative tone, but should not sound pompous. It should also be gender sensitive
and without political tone.

Using the boss’s tone

In most cases, staff write for their supervisors. Thus, staff writers must be flexible
in adopting the way their superiors (should) think and write. Correspondence from
a commander to subordinates usually bears an authoritative tone instead of having a
friendly one. In all circumstances, a staff writer should determine the exact purpose in
order to be sure of what the supervisor sounds like in writing. It is important to remember
that the way a writer appears through the manner or tone of writing can influence how
the readers receive the message.

The best guide to determine Writer

the tone of your writing is by
following a writer’s triangulation
of knowing your audience, your
subject and yourself (Fig. 1.1). Refer
to the PN Staff Writing Manual Audience Subject
for more details about a writer’s
triangulation. Figure 1.1 Principles of Good Writing - A Writer’s Triangulation

See the following examples comparing the different writing tones:

FORMAL, MILITARY TONE INFORMAL, MILITARY TONE

The office proposes the publication There really is a need for

of the Navy writing hand guide that communication to be processed
was conceptualized based on the quickly so we are proposing the
need to expedite the processing of publication of the Navy writing hand
communication. guide.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 16

 An objective tone refers to an impersonal style of writing, which gives information
about something but does not include information about the writer. On the other hand,
a subjective tone says something about the writer, and particularly about how he or she
feels.

OBJECTIVE TONE SUBJECTIVE TONE

The hand guide contains tips I liked the hand guide that has helpful
on writing effective naval tips about writing effective naval
communication. communication.

SERIOUS AND
POMPOUS TONE
AUTHORITATIVE TONE

This hand guide is published for the This highly extensive hand guide
use of all PN personnel to aid in writing is published for the use of all PN
effective naval communication. personnel to greatly aid them
in writing truly effective naval
communication.

Third person point-of-view vs. first person point-of-view

As naval communication is normally formal in tone, it is usually written in the third
person point-of-view. The third person point-of-view refers to the use of third person
pronouns: he, she, they, and it. However, the first person point-of-view may be used in
some forms of social correspondence using the first-person pronouns I or we in order to
establish a more cordial tone. The second person point-of-view is rarely applied since it
uses the second-person pronoun you which sounds mostly informal.

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW

The proponent submits the enclosed As the proponent, I am submitting the

proposal for the approval of the Chief enclosed proposal for the approval of
of Naval Staff. the Chief of Naval Staff.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 17

OTHER ISSUES

MODALS

What are modals?

Modals are used to more easily describe or explain matters beyond the present time
(Fintel, 2006). Modals such as will, would, can and could are often used in sentences
describing or explaining circumstances. However, there are quite a few issues in the use
of shall and must as “words of authority” to designate roles and responsibilities.

Shall vs. must

“Shall was used as an alternative to will” in old English and is not often used in modern
English, particularly American English (Brown & Brown, 2010). Wydick (2005) explains
that the ambiguity of shall denoting many things, has been minimized by using it only in
its command sense. On the other hand, must expresses duty and is used when “it will be
necessary for someone to do something in the future” (Hewings, 1999).

Hence, direct commands usually contained in directives, LOI, SOP and naval letters
will use shall; otherwise, description of duty or responsibility will use must. For a better
understanding of the two modals, here are a few examples of the correct use of shall and
will:

[context of example: STL to the CSAFP]

INCORRECT CORRECT

The participants shall first undergo a The participants must first undergo a
required language proficiency exam required language proficiency exam
before they attend the course. before they attend the course.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 18

[context of example: memo to/naval letter; direct command]

INCORRECT CORRECT

You must submit your explanation You shall submit your explanation
letter to this headquarters NLT letter to this headquarters NLT
141400H February 2020. 141400H February 2020.

Other commonly used modals

• Will is used to say something that is already planned and is likely to happen. It is also
used to express “willingness to do something (e.g. in offers, invitations, requests, and
orders)” (Hewings, 2005).
• Would is the past tense of will and indicates less possibility (Hewings, 2005).
• Can and could both talk about ability and possibility; however, can indicates a
stronger possibility. Could is the past tense of can and suggests that something is less
likely to happen (Brown & Brown, 2010).
• Should is used when giving advice or recommendation. It is weaker than shall and
must (Brown & Brown, 2010).

EXAMPLES

INCORRECT CORRECT

Shall you agree to these conditions, Should you agree to these conditions,
your personnel may contact this your personnel may contact this
office at telephone number: 000-00- office at telephone number: 000-00-
00 and email address: officeemail@ 00 and email address: officeemail@
email.com. email.com.

The PN would send its representatives The PN will send its representatives
to the international symposium. to the international symposium.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 19

PREPOSITIONS (IN, ON AND AT)

What are prepositions?

In, on and at are prepositions of place and time which show the relationship between
two words in a sentence. Many writers encounter confusion in using these three common
prepositions.

Using prepositions of place

For places, use in for a larger place or area; on is used to describe a position above a
surface; and at is used for a more specific place or an event (Hewings, 2005).

• Countries
GENERAL

• Cities
IN • Neighborhoods
• Places with a boundary

• Streets, avenues
• Islands
ON
TO

• Large vehicles (train, bus, ship)

• Surfaces

• Addresses
SPECIFIC

AT • Specific locations/points in
an area (home, the corner)

Figure 1.2 Prepositions of Place

EXAMPLES

• The BSC Classes 235th-237th will gather at BNS Gym prior to the start of
the ceremony.

• All newly-promoted officers will be on stage for the donning of ranks.

• The international conference took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 20

Using prepositions of time

For time, use in for longer periods of time; on for days and dates; and at is used for
“exact points of time” (Hewings, 2005).

• Parts of days (morning, afternoon)

GENERAL
• Months
IN • Years
• Centuries

• Holidays with ‘day’ (Christmas

Day, Labor Day)
ON
TO

• Days of the week

• Dates

• Holidays without ‘day’ (Easter,

SPECIFIC

New Year)
AT
• Time (8:00 am, midnight, noon)

Figure 1.3 Prepositions of Time

EXAMPLES

• We would like to invite the Secretary for the groundbreaking ceremony on

April 24, 2020 at nine o’clock in the morning.

• The new ships are expected to arrive in May 2018.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 21

LISTS

Writing lists

Lists are used to present a group of conditions or exceptions and enumeration of

interconnected ideas (Wydick, 2005). Bailey (2008) mentioned, “organized writers use
lists particularly often” (p.35). In the Navy, lists can be found in most written documents
(e.g. LOI, IMPLAN and SOP) for effective presentation of information.

How to make proper lists?

In making lists, two main things must be given attention: parallelism and punctuation
(Wydick, 2005). Parallelism ensures that all items are written in the same manner: all
sentences or all phrases. Traditional list punctuations treat the list as part of a paragraph;
hence, use commas, semicolons, the word ‘and’ and period at the end of each line (Bailey,
1996).

INCORRECT CORRECT

1) Secretary Naval Staff: 1) Secretary Naval Staff:

a) Attend the conference on 03 a) Attend the conference on 03

April 2020 at HPN Ward Room April 2020 at HPN Ward Room;
b) Protocol matters b) Give advice on protocol
c) Appropriate number of support matters; and
personnel. c) Provide appropriate number of
support personnel.

b. Tasks: b. Tasks:

1) Commander, Unit: 1) Commander, Unit:

a) Provide the following a) Supervise Unit’s participants

requirements: during the activity; and
b) Provide the following
(1) Three multi-media
requirements:
projector and screen
(2) Two laptops for (1) Three multi-media
presentation projector and screen;
(3) Flat screen TV (2) Two laptops for
(4) Supervision over the Unit’s presentation; and
participants during the (3) Flat screen TV.
activity

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 22

TABLES

Writing tables

Tables are used to clearly present data with figures and lists with corresponding
description.

How to make proper tables

Here are some pointers to ensure that tables are effectively and clearly presented.

• Write headings/titles in bold letters and in some cases, all caps.

• Ensure that the two sides of the table reach the left and right margins, except when
tables are too narrow.
• Briefly explain the table in the preceding paragraph.
• When tables are split into two or more tables and placed on another page, the new
table/s must contain headings/titles found on the original table.
• Do not leave table cells blank or without any data (words/amount). Indicate N/A, if
data is not applicable; and NIL, 0, 0.00 or “-” for zero or no amount in figures.

EXAMPLE [context: breakdown of travel budget]

Particulars USD* PhP

Roundtrip Airfare 00.00 00.00

Daily Subsistence Allowance 00.00 00.00

Travel Insurance - 00.00

Pre-departure Expenses - 00.00

TOTAL 00.00

*Note: (1USD= PhP50.37 as of April 2017)

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 23

 [context: list of principal and alternate attendees for foreign events, travels, courses, etc]

Name/Rank Designation

Principal Attendees

CAPT JUAN DELA CRUZ O-1111 PN(GSC) Commander, Unit

COL JUAN DELA CRUZ O-22222 PN(M)(GSC) Deputy Commander, Unit

Alternate Attendees

CAPT JOSE FILIPINO O-3333 PN(GSC) Deputy Commander, Unit

CAPT JOSE FILIPINO O-44444 PN(GSC) Director, Unit

NUMBERS

Writing numerals in words

Writing numbers in naval documents has already been set in Chapter 1 (Principles) of
the PN Staff Writing Manual. The manual explicitly states, “Spell out numbers for nine and
under, use numerals for 10 and up” (p.7). This is a general numeral rule followed in naval
writing, but this does not strictly apply when it comes to writing amounts. Presenting
amounts in naval correspondence is important, particularly those seeking budget
approval from the higher headquarters. Ease of reading must always be considered, given
that the figures often correspond to an essential requirement of the PN.

How numerals are written in words

Amounts must be spelled in words before enclosing in parentheses the equivalent

digits/figures. The amount in words must be properly spelled out in all caps and in bold
letters; and decimals/centavos are written in fractions. In cases where a document
mentions many amounts, only the main/most important amount will be written in words
and in bold letters.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 24

 INCORRECT CORRECT

The PN will shoulder the airfare, The PN will shoulder the airfare,
amounting to PhP166,670.43. amounting to ONE HUNDRED
SIXTY-SIX THOUSAND SIX
HUNDRED SEVENTY AND 43/100
PESOS (PhP166,670.43).

The facility repair will entail an amount The facility repair will entail an
of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND amount of PhP100,000.00 while
PESOS (PhP100,000.00) while the the various additional equipment
various additional equipment cost cost PhP250,000.00. Thus, this
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND FIFTY Command requests for the release
PESOS (PhP250,000.00). Thus, this of funds amounting to THREE
Command requests for the release HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND
of funds amounting to THREE PESOS (PhP350,000.00) intended
HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND for the completion of the project.
PESOS PhP350,000.00 intended for
the completion of the project.

ARCHAIC/LEGALESE TERMS
vs PLAIN ENGLISH

As explained by Wydick in his book Plain English for Lawyers (2005), legal writing
or “legalese” is “(1) wordy, (2) unclear, (3) pompous and (4) dull.” In the Philippine Navy,
this is reflected by the traditionally/commonly used archaic/legalese terms that lengthen
sentences without adding essential content. Plain English solves this by removing archaic/
legalese terms. These terms are easily replaceable with simple terms and phrases that
will be easily understood by the readers.

Some legalese compound constructions are listed below with their corresponding
plain English synonym. This list is mentioned in many plain English guides, books and
manuals such as Plain English for Lawyers (Wydick, 2005) and Concise is Nice (Henning,
2010).

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 25

 Compound Simple

at the point in time then

by means of by

by reason of because of

by virtue of by, under

for the purpose of to

for the reason that because

in accordance with by, under

inasmuch as since

in connection with with, about, concerning

in favor of for

in order to to

in relation to about, concerning

in the event that if

in the nature of like

prior to before

subsequent to after

with a view to to

with reference to about, concerning

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 26

The PN Staff Writing Manual also enumerates a number of lengthy phrases that may be
resolved, as follows:

Don’t Write Write

Advance plan Plan

Take action Act

Have a discussion Discuss

Hold a meeting Meet

Study in depth Study

New innovations Innovations

Consensus of opinion Consesus

At the present time Now

Until such time as Until

In the majority of instances Most, usually

On a local basis Locally

Basically unaware of Did not know

In the area of Approximately

At management level By management

With regard to About, concerning

In connection with Of, in, on

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 27

 Don’t Write Write

In view of Because

In the event of If

For the purpose of For

On the basis of By, from

Despite the fact that Although

Other archaic and outdated terms used in naval documents can be replaced by
simple words including the following:

COMPOUND SIMPLE

Anent above reference Per reference/According to

Request be informed Please be informed

In view of the foregoing Based on

In this regard Therefore

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 28

EMPHASIZING WORDS/STATEMENTS

Putting emphasis in writing

Uppercase and/or bold letters are oftentimes used to put emphasis on words or
phrases. They are used because “the capitalization and bold type attempt to catch
the reader’s attention” (US Securities and Exchange Commission, 1998). Excessive use
of these techniques, however, defeats the intent and even cause inconvenience to the
readers. Hence, staff writers must limit the use of boldface, ALL CAPS and italics.

How to emphasize words and statements

The University of Oxford Style Guide (2014) prescribes the following in emphasizing
texts (p. 21):

Bold

• Use sparingly for intended text EXAMPLE

highlight.
• Could be used for names,
deadlines and other text of high You are requested to submit to
significance. this office your accomplishment
• Punctuation that follows bold report NLT 181700H April 2016.
texts should not be bold.

Italics

• Use to flag text that is different EXAMPLE

from all other text in the
sentence.
• Use for titles of books, plays This will boost the bayanihan
and other published materials. spirit among our stakeholders
• Use when writing foreign text. and other partner agencies.

Underline

• “Avoid underlining for emphasis.”

• Use for hyperlinks.
• In the PN, underlining is used to highlight the tasks of Commanders and Staff in
the Directives, LOIs, IMPLANs and SOPs.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 29

CITATIONS AND REFERENCES

Naval writers often give credit to their sources; however, the use of proper and
complete citation or reference list must always be practiced. As observed, the citations
in naval documents are usually footnotes with a mere list of internet websites or name of
the author and book. This practice might be considered as plagiarism.

What is plagiarism?

“Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas, or research of another person and
putting them forward without citation as if they were your own” (Rampolla, 2004). It must
be noted that not all plagiarism cases are obvious, but are sometimes unintentional, due
to “confusion about when and how to cite sources, uncertainty about how to paraphrase,
and carelessness in taking notes” (Rampolla, 2004). All writers in the Navy must be careful
not to commit plagiarism, as most of the documents bears the name of the organization
and are for signature of higher authorities, such as the FOIC,PN.

How to avoid plagiarism

Richard Saunders (n.d.) of the Paul Meek Library, University of Tennessee suggests two
things:

• Write original ideas; and

• Be mindful of where all ideas that are not yours come from.

Utah Valley University Writing Center, on the other hand, gives more specific tips:

• Take note of pertinent information of data from the internet (e.g. author, title, page
numbers and publication information);
• Use quotation marks for direct quotes;
• Summarize, paraphrase and cite sources properly; and
• Have an accurate list of references/works cited.

How to cite sources properly

Naval writers often give credit to their sources; however, using proper and complete
citation must be practiced. As observed, the citations commonly involve footnotes with a
mere list of internet websites or name of the author and book.

To avoid plagiarism, naval documents must reflect “standardised style to acknowledge

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 30

the source of information used” (Universal College of Learning [UCOL], 2015). The
American Psychological Association (APA) Citation Style is a widely-known style that can
be used by all navy writers to ensure standard, consistent and proper citations in all naval
documents.

Paragraphs must contain “in-text”/“parenthetical” citations made up of author

and date of publication, sometimes even page numbers of the source (Northern
Alberta Institute of Technology [NAIT], 2016). Both direct and indirect (paraphrased or
summarized) quotations must have proper citations (University of Waikato, 2016).

EXAMPLES

• Direct Quotation

“Tone is how your writing comes across to your reader.” (Standards New Zealand, 2007).

“Voice refers to whether or not the subject is the actor in the sentence.” (Bailey, 1996).

As argued by the International Association promoting Plain Legal Language (2014),

“Whatever is not pertinent must be excluded, no matter how interesting or correct it
may be in itself” (p. 11).

• Indirect Quotation

In making lists, two main things must be given attention: parallelism and punctuation
(Wydick, 2005).

Could is the past tense of can and suggests that something is less likely to happen
(Brown & Brown, 2010).

A sentence that immediately presents the subject, verb and object close together is
easily understood by the reader (Wydick, 2005).

Citations do not end in the “in-text”/”parenthetical” part. A reference list is also

necessary in proper citation. The reference list is located at the end of the document
and must contain all the sources cited in the entire document (UCOL, 2015). The
content of citations on the list are almost the same, however, special cases require
different information. Listed below are referencing examples of most common
types sources taken from A Guide to the APA 6th Edition Referencing (UCOL, 2015).
For the complete list of referencing style/format, visit http://www.apastyle.org/.

Book – one author

Collier, A. (2008). The world of tourism and travel. Rosedale, New Zealand: Pearson
Education New Zealand.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 31

 Serial / journal article (print)

Thompson, C. (2010). Facebook: Cautionary tales for nurses. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New
Zealand, 16(7), 26.

Serial / journal article (online from a database – e.g. EBSCO or Newztext)

Marshall, M., Carter, B., Rose, K., & Brotherton, A. (2009). Living with type 1 diabetes:
Perceptions of children and their parents. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18(12), 1703-
1710. Retrieved from http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0962-1067

Internet – no author, no date

Pet therapy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.holisticonline.com/stress/stress_pet-

therapy.htm

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 32

EFFECTIVE CORRESPONDENCE
CHECKLIST

To impart an easily understandable message even in one reading, naval communication

must be free of errors, must use the standard format, and must reflect plain writing style.
The following quick checklist is prescribed to achieve “concise, organized and to the
point” correspondence. (US Army Writing Style Guide, 2013):

✓ Main point first. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) writing is adopted to immediately
convey the main point of the correspondence. In naval writing, this technique is often
used, particularly in writing military Subject-To Letters (STLs).

✓ Use active voice.

✓ Use short words and sentences. The average length of a sentence should be about
15 words.

✓ Paragraphs should have 10 lines or less as much as possible.

✓ Avoid naval and military jargons, especially for civilian letters.

✓ Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

✓ Aim to keep letters and memoranda not more than one page. Use enclosures for
additional information.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 33

Below is a flowchart on how naval communication are processed at the Headquarters
Philippine Navy.

Receiving
(OCNS)

Drafting &
Editing Monitoring
Submission
(OCNS) (OCNS)
(Staff Writer)

NO CNS YES
Staff
YES Approval

NO
VCOM, PN
Action
Concurrence

NO
FOIC, PN
Approval

YES

Figure 1.4 Flow of Communication at HPN

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 34

References

Bailey, E. P., Jr. (1996). Plain English at Work. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Brown C. & Brown, P. (2010). English Grammar Secrets. Retrieved from http://grammar-
teacher.com/englishgrammarsecrets.pdf.

Henning, C. (2010). Concise is nice. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Law Center.

Hewings, M. (2005). Advanced Grammar in Use (2nd Ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press.

Rampolla, M. (2004). A Pocket Guide to Writing History (4th Ed.). Boston, NY: Bedford/
St. Martin’s.

Standards New Zealand. (2007). The Write Style Manual for Standards New Zealand: A
Manual for Business Writing and Editing. Wellington, New Zealand: Write Group Limited.

Philippine Navy (2013). Philippine Navy Manual: PN Staff Writing. Manila, Philippines:
Author.

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2013). Sentence Clarity. Retrieved from https://owl.
english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/600/1/.

United States Army. (2002). Preparing and Managing Correspondence. Washington, DC:
Author.

Universal College of Learning (2015). A Guide to the APA 6th Edition Referencing. Retrieved
from http://student.ucol.ac.nz/library/onlineresources/Documents/APA_guide_2015.
pdf.

University of Oxford (2014). University of Oxford Style Guide. Retrieved from https://www.
ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/media_wysiwyg/University%20of%20Oxford%20Style%20
Guide.pdf.

Wydick, R. (2005). Plain English for Lawyers (5th Ed.) Durnham, North Carolina: Carolina
Academic Press.

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 35

 ANNEX STANDARD FORMATS
OF NAVAL CORRESPONDENCE

1”

Disposition Form “The NAVY: Protecting the Seas, Securing our Future” (Arial, 12)
(with recommendation) DISPOSITION FORM SECURITY CLASSIFICATION (IF ANY)
(STAMPED)
File Number:
Subject: Subject is Stated in as Few Words as Possible
___________
Standard Font: Arial, 12 TO: FOIC, PN FROM: CNS DATE: COMMENT NR: ___
VIA: VCOM, PN
// = 1 blank space LTJG DELA CRUZ PN/fma-7652
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
//
//
SUMMARY:
//
0.5”
1. Reference: PN Naval Staff Writing Manual
//
1” 1”
2. To standardize the preparation of DFs, Aria l Font size 12 is used, Security
Classification is marked or stamped (not typed) in the space provided, and DFs
prepared for signature of the CNS are dated after they are signed. The rank and the
last name of the drafter, initials of the typist and the telephone number must be
indicated below the word “Comment”.
//
3. References are labeled with letters, e.g. Ref a, while Enclosures are labeled
with numbers, e.g. Encl 1. Reference and Enclosure Tabs must be colored white in
Arial Font Size 14, while Signature Tabs are colored yellow in Arial Font size 12.
//
RECOMMENDATION/S: (with S if more than one recommendation)
//
4. Recommendation must state clearly and concisely the specific action or actions
being recommended.
//
//
//
// {7 tabs}
| | | | | | CUSI

Encls: (Arial, 11)

//
1-
2-

NAVY 2020: STRONG AND CREDIBLE

1”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 36

 ¾ or

Civilian Letter
(FOIC, PN signature) FLAG OFFICER IN COMMAND
PHILIPPINE NAVY
Naval Station Jose Andrada
Standard Font: Arial, 12 2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
// = 1 blank space //
//
//
//
Secretary DELFIN N. LORENZANA
Department of National Defense
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo
Quezon City
//
Thru: Channel
//
Dear Secretary Lorenzana:
//
0.5”
______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________. ¾ or 0.75”
1¼ or 1.25” //
0.5” ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________.
//
0.5” ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________.
//
0.5”
I hope this merits the appreciation/approval/consideration of the Secretary.
// {7 tabs}
| | | | | | Very truly yours,
//
//
//
//
RONALD JOSEPH S MERCADO
Vice Admiral, AFP

1¼ or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 37

 ¾ or 0.75”
{Align Logo with Heading}

Civilian Letter PUNONGHIMPILAN HUKBONG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS

(Headquarters Philippine Navy)
Naval Station Jose Andrada
(with Authority Line) 2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
//
//
Standard Font: Arial, 12 //
//
// = 1 blank space Mr./Ms. Complete Name
Position
Company/Agency/Association
Building No., Street
City
//
//
//
Dear Mr./Ms. Surname:
//
0.5”
_____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_____________________________.
//
1¼ or 1.25” 0.5” _____________________________________________________________¾ or 0.75”
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________.
//
0.5” _____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
______________________________.
{ 6 tabs}
| | | | | Sincerely,
{ 5 tabs}
| | | | FOR THE FLAG OFFICER IN COMMAND, PN:

JUAN DELA CRUZ

Captain, PN(GSC)
The Naval Special Services Officer

1¼ or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 38

 ¾or 0.75”

Military Letter
(FOIC, PN signature)
FLAG OFFICER IN COMMAND
PHILIPPINE NAVY
Naval Station Jose Andrada
Standard Font: Arial, 12 2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
// = 1 blank space //
//
//
//
SUBJECT: ____________________
//
//
//
TO: ____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
(Attn: _______________)
//
//
//
//
1 tab
1. References: ¾or 0.75”
1¼or 1.25” //
a) ___________________________________________________
_________________________
2 tabs b) ___________________________________________________
|
_________________________
c) ___________________________________________________
_________________________
//
1 tab
2. _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________.
//
1 tab
3. _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
________________.
//
//
//
// {7 tabs}
| | | | | | RONALD JOSEPH S MERCADO
Vice Admiral, AFP

1¼or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 39

 ¾or 0.75”
{Align Logo with Heading}

Military Letter PUNONGHIMPILAN HUKBONG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS

(Headquarters Philippine Navy)
Naval Station Jose Andrada
(with Authority Line) 2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
//
//
Standard Font: Arial, 12 //
//
// = 1 blank space SUBJECT: ____________________
//
//
//
TO: ____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
(Attn: _______________)
//
//
//
//
1 tab
1. References: ¾or 0.75”
1¼or 1.25” //
a) ___________________________________________________
_________________________
2 tabs b) ___________________________________________________
|
_________________________
c) ___________________________________________________
_________________________
//
1 tab
2. _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________.
//
1 tab
3. _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
________________.
// 2 tabs
| FOR THE FLAG OFFICER IN COMMAND, PN:
//
//
//
//
{7 tabs} JUAN DELA CRUZ
| | | | | | Captain, PN(GSC)
Position, PN Office/Unit

1¼or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 40

 ¾or 0.75”

Naval Letter
(FOIC, PN signature)
FLAG OFFICER IN COMMAND
PHILIPPINE NAVY
Standard Font: Arial, 12 Naval Station Jose Andrada
// = 1 blank space 2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila

//
//
//
//
From: Flag Officer In Command, PN
To: Position, PN Office/Unit
//
Subj: ____________________________
//
Refs: a) ____________________________ For single reference:
b) ____________________________ Ref: _____________________
//
Encls: 1) ____________________________ For single enclosure:
2) ____________________________ Encl: ______________________
//
1. ______________________________________________________________
1¼or 1.25” ____________________________________________________________________¾or 0.75”
____________________________________________________________________
__________________________.
//
2. ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________.
//
3. ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________.
//
//
//
//
{7 tabs} RONALD JOSEPH S MERCADO
| | | | | | Vice Admiral, AFP

1¼or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 41

 ¾or 0.75”
{Align Logo with Heading}

Naval Letter PUNONGHIMPILAN HUKBONG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS

(Headquarters Philippine Navy)
Naval Station Jose Andrada
(with Authority Line) 2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
//
//
Standard Font: Arial, 12 //
//
// = 1 blank space From: Flag Officer In Command, PN
To: Position, PN Office/Unit
//
Subj: ____________________________
//
Refs: a) ____________________________ For single reference:
b) ____________________________ Ref: _____________________
//
Encls: 1) ____________________________ For single enclosure:
2) ____________________________ Encl: ______________________
//
1. ______________________________________________________________
1¼or 1.25” ____________________________________________________________________¾or 0.75”
____________________________________________________________________
__________________________.
//
2. ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________.
//
3. ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________.
//
1 tab BY COMMAND OF VICE ADMIRAL MERCADO:
//
//
//
//
{7 tabs} JUAN DELA CRUZ
| | | | | | Captain, PN(GSC)
Position, PN Office/Unit

1¼or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 42

 ¾or 0.75”

{Align Logo with Heading}

Memorandum PUNONGHIMPILAN HUKBONG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS

(Headquarters Philippine Navy)
for FOIC, PN Office Logo
OFFICE NAME
Address
(for info) //
OFFICE SYMBOL
//
Date
Standard Font: Arial, 12 //
// = 1 blank space MEMORANDUM for -
//
2 tabs Flag Officer In Command, PN
| |Via: a) Chief of Naval Staff
b) Vice Commander, PN
//
Subj: _______________________________
//
1. Reference:_____________________________________________________ ¾or 0.75”
1¼or 1.25” ___________________
//
2. ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________.
//
3. For the information and appreciation of the Flag Officer In Command, PN.
//
//
//
//
{7 tabs} JUAN DELA CRUZ
| | | | | | Captain, PN(GSC)

1¼or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 43

 ¾or 0.75”

Letter of PUNONGHIMPILAN HUKBONG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS

(Headquarters Philippine Navy)
Naval Station Jose Andrada
Instruction //
2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila

(LOI) //
//
OFFICE SYMBOL
//
Standard Font: Arial, 12 Subject: Letter of Instruction Nr ______
// = 1 blank space //
To: __________________________
//
References:
//
0.5” a. _____________________________
______________________
b. ___________________________________________________
//
0.5”
1. SITUATION:____________________________________________________
1¼or 1.25” ____________________________________________________________________ ¾or 0.75”
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________.
//
0.5”
2. MISSION:______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________.
//c v
3. 0.5” EXECUTION:_
//
a. 0.5” Concept of Operation:
//
______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________.
//
b. 0.5” Tasks:
//
1) 0.5” Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:
// 0.5”
a) ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________;
// 0.5”
(1) ________________________________________;
(2) _____________________________________; and
(3) ________________________________________.
//
b) ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________; and
//

continued on next page →

1 of 2

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 44

← continued from c) ______________________________________________
¾or 0.75”
____________________________________________________.
previous page //
2) Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:
//
1¼or 1.25”
(same as above)
//
3) Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:
//
(same as above)
//
c. Staff Support and Supervision:
//
1) AC of NS for ( ), N(_):
//
a) _____________________________________;
//
b) _____________________________________; and
// ¾or 0.75”
1¼or 1.25” c) _____________________________________.
//
2) Director, (Complete Office Name):
//
(same as above)
//
x. Coordinating Instructions:
//
1) ___________________________________________________.
//
2) ___________________________________________________.
//
4. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS: ______________________________.

5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL: _______________________________________.

//
//
//
//
{7 tabs} RONALD JOSEPH S MERCADO
| | | | | | Vice Admiral, AFP
Flag Officer In Command, PN

ADDENDA/ANNEXES:

0.5” ___________________
___________________

DISTRIBUTION:

FOIC, PN - 1 CNS - 1
0.5” VCOM, PN - 1 HPN Staff - 1ea

2 of 2
1¼or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 45

 ¾or 0.75”
{Align Logo with Heading}

Standard PUNONGHIMPILAN HUKBONG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS

(Headquarters Philippine Navy)
Naval Station Jose Andrada
Operationg //
2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Procedure //
//
//
(SOP) STANDING OPERATING PROCEDURE
//
NUMBER…………………………………..
Standard Font: Arial, 12 SOP TITLE OR SUBJECT
// = 1 blank space //
0.5”
1. PURPOSE:_____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
1¼or 1.25” __________________________________________________________________.
¾or 0.75”
//
2. SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY:_encourage
//
______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
______________________________________.
//
3. DEFINITION OF TERMS:
//
______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________.
//
4. POLICIES:
//
0.5”
a. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________;
//
b. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________; and
//
c. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________.
//
5. PROCEDURES:_
//
a. 0.5” _________________________________________________________
__________________________________.
//
b. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________.
//
6. RESPONSIBILITY:
//
continued on next page →
1¼or 1.25” 1 of 2

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 46

← continued from //
a. Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:
0.5”
previous page 1) ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________;
// 0.5”
a) ________________________________________;
//
b) ________________________________________; and
//
c) ________________________________________.
//
2) ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________; and ¾or 0.75”
1¼or 1.25” //
3) ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________.
//
b. Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:
//
1) (same as above); and
//
2) (same as above).
//
c. Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:
//
1) (same as above); and
//
2) (same as above).
//
7. EFFECTIVITY:_______________________________________.
//
8. RESCISSION: _______________________________________.
//
BY COMMAND OF VICE ADMIRAL MERCADO:
//
//
//
//
OFFICIAL: GAUDENCIO C COLLADO JR
| | | | | | Rear Admiral, AFP
{7 tabs} Chief of Naval Staff
//
HERNANIE S SONGANO
Colonel, PN(M)(GSC)
The Naval Adjutant

1¼or 1.25” 2 of 2

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 47

 {Align Logo with Heading} ¾or 0.75”

Directive PUNONGHIMPILAN HUKBONG DAGAT NG PILIPINAS

(Headquarters Philippine Navy)
Naval Station Jose Andrada
2335 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
//
Standard Font: Arial, 12 //
// = 1 blank space //
//
_________ DIRECTIVE )
NUMBER. . . . )

DIRECTIVE TITLE
//
0.5”
1. REFERENCES:_
//
a. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________
b. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________
// ¾or 0.75”
1¼or 1.25” 2. GENERAL:_
//
______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
______________________________________.
//
3. PURPOSE:
//
______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
______________________________________.
//
4. OBJECTIVES:
//
0.5”
a. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________;
//
b. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________; and
//
c. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________.
//
5. EXECUTION:_
//
a. 0.5” Concept:
//
_________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________.
//
continued on next page →
1¼or 1.25” 1 of 3

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 48

← continued from //
b. Tasks:

previous page 1) 0.5” Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:

// 0.5”
a) ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________;
// 0.5”
(1) ________________________________________;
//
(2) _____________________________________; and
//
(3) ________________________________________.
//
b) ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________; and
//
c) ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________.
//
2) Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:
//
a) (same as above); and
//
b) (same as above).
//
3) Position, Complete Name of Office/Unit:
//
a) (same as above); and
//
b) (same as above).
//
c. Staff Support and Supervision:
//
1) AC of NS for ( ), N(_):
//
a) _____________________________________;
//
b) _____________________________________; and
// ¾or 0.75”
1¼or 1.25” c) _____________________________________.
//
2) Director, (Complete Office Name):
//
a) ____________________________________; and
//
b) ________________________________________.
//
x. Coordinating Instructions:
//
1) ___________________________________________________.
//
continued on next page →
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PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 49

← continued from //
2) ___________________________________________________.

previous page 6. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS:

//
a. Administration:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________.

b. Logistics and Fund Support:

//
_________________________________________________________
________________________________.
//
7. COMMAND AND SIGNAL:
//
a. Command:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________.

b. Signal:
//
_________________________________________________________ ¾or 0.75”
1¼or 1.25”
________________________________.
//
//
//
//
{7 tabs} RONALD JOSEPH S MERCADO
| | | | | | Vice Admiral, AFP
Flag Officer In Command, PN

ADDENDA/ANNEXES:

0.5” a) ___________________
b) ___________________

DISTRIBUTION:

FOIC, PN - 1
0.5” VCOM, PN - 1
CNS - 1
HPN Staff - 1ea

3 of 3
1¼or 1.25”

PHILIPPINE NAVY STAFF WRITING HAND GUIDE 50

Office of the Chief of Naval Staff