CHAPTER

CIVILIAN LETTER

Misconception can arise out of the word civilian inasmuch as the police are civilian in
character organization, and even if it is civilian or paramilitary, the police subscribed to some
military conventional communications, such as radiographic message, memorandum, and
endorsement. So as the police organization writes another addressee outside of the police
service, they use the civilian letter which has a standard format.

Police uses a purely civilian letter when communicating with the President of the Philippines,
Department Secretaries, Provincial Governors, City or Municipal Mayors, owners and/or
managers of private companies, and head or chief of other government agencies, and the likes.
A civilian letter, unlike the radiographic message, memorandum, and endorsement has a
different form, because the former is particular on symmetry or a well-balanced appearance.

What is Civilian Letter?

A civilian letter, also called a business correspondence is usually a communication from the
police office or law enforcement agency addressed to other public or private agencies, or
between the police organization and the end-users of police service, and other external parties.
The overall style of the letter depends on the relationship between the sender and recipient.

It can have many types of contents, for example to request direct information or action from
another party, to point out a mistake by the sender or recipient, to apologize for a mistake, or to
convey goodwill. It is useful because it produces a permanent record, and may be taken more
seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication.

Parts of Civilian Letter

The parts of civilian letter are as follows:

1. Heading. A typed or a printed letterhead may be used. It includes the writer's office and
office address. Abbreviations shall not be made for the city, municipality, and province..

Example:

Republic of the Philippines

National Police Commission PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICEALERIA CABANATUAN

CITY POLICE STATION
Cabanatuan City

Usually used in correspondence addressed outside of the police organization, the printed or
typed letterhead includes these pieces of information, that is, name of the police unit or office,
its address, telephone number and Zone International Postal (ZIP) Code, if any. Sometimes the
unit or office slogan and zeal is written.

2. File Reference. The use of identifying file reference is optional depending on the
instructions issued by the chief or head of office. If ever used, it is placed at the left margin
two spaces below the letterhead, and in line with or below the current date.

Example:

CCPS-IN

3. Dateline. The month, day and year in that order is the dateline. In a civilian letter the month
is never abbreviated; it is spelled out. Also, "st" as in 1st, "nd" as in 2nd, "rd" as in 3rd, or "th"
as 4th is not used after the month, so with 21 as in 2021 in writing the year.

Examples: find

Wrong: July 3rd, 20

Right: July 3, 2020

4. Inside Address. The addressee's name should be written in full. It should always be
preceded by a courtesy title, except in cases of M.D., Ph.D., and a few others. The first line
shows the addressee's name and designation, if any; the second line, the name of the agency or
company to which the addressee belongs; the third line, the address of the agency or company.
If not belonging to any agency of company, the addressee's local address will do.

Example: Pacto

MR. JUAN S. DELA CRUZ

President, Cabanatuan City Chamber of Commerce 17430 Burgos Ave., Cabanatuan City 3100

5. Attention Line. To speed up handling of the letter, the attention line is used when the letter
is addressed to a company or to a particular department of a company or to an individual aside
from the addressee. The following are examples of attention line.

Examples:
15 Attn: Mr. Juan S. Dela Cruz

Attn: Accounting Department

6. Salutation. The salutation greets the reader and the greeting may be formal or informal,
cordial or personal. The following examples show the different kinds of salutation and tones
they reflect.

Examples:

Extremely Formal: Sir. Sirs:

: Madam

: Mesdames:

Still Very Formal:

Dear Sir:

Dear Sirs:

: Dear Madam: Dear Mesdames:

Formal & Cordial : Dear Mr. Tan: Dear Messrs. Tan and Cruz:

Informal

: Gentlemen:

When addressed to a company or to a group consisting entirely of men, or even of men and
women.

: Ladies:

When addressed to ladies as is usually used in courtesy letters.

Personal

: Dear Juan, Dear Juana,

50 P Except for peers and royalty, the virtually universal form is "Dear Sir" or "Dear Sirs" and
"Dear Madam" or "Dear Mesdames." The singular form is used for a person or a particular
member, e.g., president of a company. "Sir" without "Dear . . ." is usually reserved for
honorific distinction in addressing a person of rank, like a judge, military or police officer.
In addition, for titles, "Miss" for unmarried woman, "Mrs." for a married woman, or "Mr." can
be used. "Mr." and "Esquire" cannot be used together as they mean the same thing. However,
in writing to a firm, "Messrs." for men and women and "Mesdames" for women are used.

The title, "Doctor" is occasionally written in full, although the abbreviation "Dr." is perfectly
acceptable. The following titles are frequently abbreviated, but it is more dignified to write
them in full, e.g., "Hon." for Honorable, "Prof." for "Professor," "Atty." for "Attorney," "Sec."
for "Secretary," Rev." for "Reverend," "Pres." for "President," and "HE" for "His Excellency."

Examples:

Right: Rev. Dr. Juan S. Dela Cruz

Reverend Dr. Juan S. Dela Cruz

Reverend Mr. Juan S. Dela Cruz Wrong: The Rev. Juan S. Dela Cruz

The article "the" is used if "Reverend" is spelled out. However, in the inside address there
should always be the first name of the person even if prefixed by titles "Reverend,"
"Principal," "Superintendent," or "Professor." The title or position when following names of
persons should never be abbreviated.

Examples:

Right: Mrs. Juana S. Dela Cruz, Treasurer

Wrong: Mrs. Juana S. Dela Cruz, Treas.

7. Subject Line. The subject line is the gist of the message. It helps a very busy person find
out in a split second what the letter is all about. As it is a part of the message, this line appears
logical above it, and below the salutation.

Example:

Sir:

SUBJECT: Personal Coordination

Use a colon, preferably after a salutation, and after a subject line, and use comma after a
complimentary close.

8. Body. The body is the message itself. In it, one of the problems that may confront a
correspondent is paragraphing. This, however, does not pertain to the appearance of the
message; but rather, to its contents. A correspondent gets focused on how to end and how to
begin another paragraph.

The general rule for paragraphing is to have each separate idea or subject occupy a separate
paragraph. For instance, if one were to invite the Secretary of the Department of Interior and
Local Government as guest speaker on certain occasions. The former mentions the program,
date, time and venue; the subject to talk about, the time allotment, and the anticipated
acceptance of the latter. There should be at least four paragraphs.

It sometimes happens, though, that a letter of one page or more is about a single subject. In this
case, there should be, according to the given rule, one long paragraph should be divided into
two or more. One can usually, without much difficulty, find the logical point at which to make
the division. This division of the long paragraph improves the appearance of the page.

9. Complimentary Close. A complimentary close is usually followed by a comma, and comes

immediately after the last line of the message. The first word starts with a capital letter.

Examples: G12499 HT

Formal to Superior

50bbA

: Yours respectfully,

: Respectfully yours,

: Very respectfully yours,

Yours very respectfully,

Formal-Business Like: Yours truly,

: Yours very truly,

Less Formal : Very sincerely yours,

: Yours very sincerely, r

: Yours sincerely,

Less Formal-Cordial

: Very cordially yours,

: Yours very cordially, a

: Yours cordially,

: Cordially yours,

The segment ranges from formal to cordial. For official correspondence, "Very truly yours," is
perfectly acceptable. The tone in the complimentary close must match with that in the
salutation. of conw shion gol a bit

"Dear Sir" and "Lovingly yours," or "Dear Juan" and "Respectfully yours," do not complement
each other. Moreover, among the government officials, it is only the president whose name
may be omitted in the inside address.

Examples:

Addressee

: THE PRESIDENT

Malacañang Palace Manila S

Salutation

:: Sir

: Dear Mr. President

: Mr. President

Complimentary Close

: Very respectfully yours,

: Yours very respectfully, : Respectfully yours,

: Yours respectfully,
10. Company Signature. In a civilian letter, a company signature may be shown immediately
above the writer's signature, based on the theory that the company, not the writer, is the legal
entity.

In other words, the company assumes a greater responsibility than the individual does;
otherwise, the company signature is omitted, especially if including it is not a standard policy
of the firm.

Examples:

With a company signature:

Very truly yours,

: CRUZ MERCHANDIZING:00

wine salt wolad songs DE: REY SANTOS DELA CRUZ Manager, Sales Department engia

Without a company signature: Very truly yours,

: PEDRO CRUZ SANTOS Manager, Sales Department

Among men in uniform, the authority line takes the place of a company signature. The
authority line is typed all in capital letters, followed by a colon, and is positioned two spaces
below the complimentary close.

Example:

: Respectfully yours,

FOR THE CHIEF OF POLICE:

: JUAN SANTOS CRUZ

to Police Superintendent Chief, Opns & Plans Branch

It is important to note that "Mr." should never be placed before the writer's signature, printed
or signed named. The female correspondent may or may not enclose in parenthesis her "Miss"
or "Mrs." identity.

Moreover, it is always advantageous to print the writer's name before he signs above it. In a
pen-writer letter, a second signature is enclosed in parentheses.
Example:

: Very truly yours,

: Sgd. LIGAYA C. SANTOS (Mrs. Juana S. Dela Cruz)

11. Reference Initials. Initials of the writer and his typist or secretary appear at the left of the
stationery, and that is about two spaces below the writer's identification. These initials are
aligned with the left margin of the letter. "ABC" stands for the initials of the signatory, "DEF"
stands for the initials of the drafter, and "ghi" stands for the initials of the computer encoder or
the typist.

Example:

ABC/DEF/ghi

12. Enclosure Notation. This notation refers to anything sent with the basic communication.
In civilian letter, here are the enclosures style used. notes a yo Downl

Example:

Enclosures:

1. Contract of Service

2002. Memorandum Receipt

13. Postscript (P.S.). If a writer has forgotten something in the message, he adds a P.S. It is
intentional to attract attention. The postscript may be flushed with the letter margins or may be
indented from both margins in five spaces.

14. Copy Furnished. When one or two copies are furnished, a carbon copy (cc) notation is
indicated on the original and all copies of the letter. This may be done on two ways as
indicated.

Examples:

cc: Mr. Juan S. Dela Cruz

cc: Sales Department

This notation can substitute for the traditional "Copy Furnished," notation. A blind carbon
copy (bec) notation does not appear on the original because the writer does not want the
addressee to know that a certain copy is furnished to another. suurelestite vina

Types of Civilian Letter

The types of civilian letter are as follows:

1. Invitation Letter. An invitation letter usually refers to that one securing a speaker for an
important occasion. It mentions the following: (a) date, time, and place of the speaking
engagement; (b) topic to be discussed; (c) time limit; and (d) verification of acceptance.

2. Invitation Refusal. Between an invitation acceptance and an invitation refusal, the latter is
more difficult to write. The writer therefore, considers as guide the following points: (a)
appreciation for the invitation; (b) reasons for refusal; and (c) the possibility of accepting a
similar invitation in the future.

3. Information Letter. Because of the close association with the community members, the
police executive receives inquiries and answers it. Furthermore, in order to uphold the dignity
of the police organization, the concerned police officer assures maintenance of peace and
order, as well as justice to all.

4. Request Letter. Specific suggestions in writing a request letter: (a) to speed the handling of
the request, the writer should address his letter to a particular person or department if the
addressee is not known; (b) the writer must have a clear mind as to what he wants to know,
omitting to ask information that can be obtained from references, books, or other sources that
are readily available; (c) the writer must express his gratitude by saying "thank you" but not
"thank you in advance," which is presumptuous; and (d) as this is a special favor, a stamped
self-addressed envelope should be enclosed.

5. Claim Letter. A claim letter is written as a result of complaint about the way supplies were
delivered, services rendered, or accounts paid. Anybody intending to write this kind of letter
must think of courtesy despite his or her ire. The correspondents must not write when angry as
to do so means to project the temper. The rudeness will be reflected in the letter.

6. Transmittal Letter. A transmittal letter is a letter that sends. It identifies what is being sent
and what is being intended for. It sends an important paper requesting for appointment or
promotion, and formal reports, a check, a bank draft, or a money order. If money is involved, it
is usually a remittance letter. The writer indicates the amount and form. of payment, whether it
be check or money order. Likewise, the writer tells how the money is to be applied. by love
mix s

7. Credit Letter. Credit is generally defined as the power to obtain goods and services in the
present time with a promise to pay in the future. Credit helps the debtor in his financial
difficulties and enables him to obtain goods and services which he cannot afford on a cash
basis. The debtor gets from the creditor - the individual money lenders or loan sharks, retail
stores, pawn shops, banks, sales finance companies, credit unions, or insurance companies.

be8. Order Letter. An order letter is written when a person or a customer for that matter asks
for goods from a seller or supplier. It needs to be correct, complete, and definite so that the
reader may feel it exactly as the writer wishes. Incompleteness or errors may mean further
correspondence, shipping delays, complicated billings, repacking, reshipping, and loss of
business.

9. Adjustment Letter. An adjustment letter is written in an answer to a claim letter sent by the
letter sender.

10. Inquiry Letter. A letter of inquiry wants to know about a product or a service. It is
courteously worded, as follows: (a) clear, brief, and specific questions, including names, dates,
and places which will help the reader in answering them; (b) reasons why the information is
important to the reader; and (c) omission of demanding replies, such as "at once," "as soon as
possible," and the like. om seald and Dobutami

11. Recommendation Letter. Sometimes, an employee asks for a recommendation letter.

Morally obligated, an employer responds to the request and considers the following: (a) the
person being recommended; (b) his history of employment, qualifications and skills; (c) an
assessment of his personality; and (d) final recommendation.

12. Reference Letter. An applicant for a delicate position is scrutinized through the conduct of
background investigation. His former employer, for instance, receives a reference letter for his
prospective employer. This letter specifies the period of employment, the extent of the
employee's competence or efficiency, and assurance of doing the same favor if needed.

13. Application Letter. This letter may be written in answer to an advertisement in the papers
or bulletin boards. It may be written through a hint of a friend or a relative on certain
vacancies. As a guide, here are the contents of an application letter: (a) source of information;
(b) interest in a particular position; (c) personal qualifications; (d) urgent reasons for needing
the position; (e) assurance of respectable people as reference; and (f) availability for a personal
interview.

14. Condolence Letter. Usually, this letter depends on how well the sympathizer knows the
bereaved. But more often than not, the tone is personal in approach, sincere in condoling. To
condole is to comfort.

15. Appointment Letter. An appointment letter is sent to a person who has been appointed to
serve a committee or who has been selected to perform a specific task. It may be rejected or
accepted.

General Rules on Spacing o

The general rules on spacing are as follows: on standard 8.5 by 11 inch stationery, the date is
usually typed on line 15 with the inside address typed five lines below; and one blank line is
left before the salutation, each paragraph, the complimentary close, the company signature or
authority line in case of police correspondence, if used. If an attention line or a subject line is
included, one blank line precedes and follows these parts.

The writer's identification should be preceded by at least three blank lines to allow room for
signature. At least one blank line usually separates the writer's identification from the reference
initials. Generally, no blank line separates the reference initials from enclosure and carbon
copy notations; and a postscript, if used, would be preceded by one blank line.

Required Marginal Spaces

As far as margins are concerned, the civilian letter looks artistic when there is a balanced
appearance, a deviation from the memorandum which has fixed marginal rules. In civilian
letters, symmetry or balanced appearance must be achieved and it is largely dependent on the
length of the message,

The left margin of a letter should be straight whether it is a pen written or typewritten letter.
Because it is impossible to achieve a straight line for the right margin, the writer must exercise
a little care and good judgment in dividing words at the end of the line to prevent the page
from having a ragged appearance.

When the letter is very short, the margins should increase, and the letter placed far enough
from the top of the page to allow it to occupy the middle of the page. For an average-length
letter, from 100 to 150 words, it may be written on a page when the double spacing is used and
the marginal stops are set so as to make the lines fifty spaces in length at both sides.

In 200 to 300 words or more letters, the same length line used, but single spacing, with double
spacing between paragraphs may be should be used if the desire is to accommodate the whole
message on one page. Finally, in continuation page, the top margin should be one inch, the first
line to be typed on line seven, and approximately the same length, if not more at the bottom
margin.

Continuation of Page Notation

A very modern treatment of a continuation page notation in civilian letters is best illustrated in
"English for Business." This book shows the addressee's name, with initialed first name, but
definitely not the surname, page number, and date, appearing on the first page, and all typed
towards the top margin.

These items may be typed vertically or horizontally. Just like memorandums, civilian letters
use plain stationery, not printed letterhead for the second and succeeding pages. They also
follow the same rules regarding division of paragraphs, sentences, and words.

Arrangement, Style and Folding

The study committee on police correspondence and issuance, under the Directorate for Plans
and Programs, NHQ, PNP, chooses the Blocked Letter and Semi-Blocked Letter style. These
two styles are very similar in appearance, except in the paragraphing portion. Typists use the
blocked letter if the text is composed of more than nine lines; and semi-blocked letter, if less
than nine lines.

For an 8.5 by 11-inches stationery to be folded in a short envelope, here are the accepted
procedures: place the sheet flat on the desk, with its face up and its bottom toward the writer;
fold the bottom toward the top, bringing the lower edge to within one-half inch of the top; fold
from right to left a little more than one-third of the width of the sheet; and finally, fold the
remaining from left to right.

Finally, the other important factor to be considered is the length of the correspondence the
letter is writing. It should be kept in mind that formal letters are generally to the point, precise
and short. Lengthy formal letters tend to not have the desired effect on the reader. The length
of an informal letter is determined by the message in the letter and the relation to the recipient
or addresses.

CHAPTER REVIEW
IDENTIFICATION: Write the answer on the blank or space provided before each number.
Civilian letter 1.It is also called a business letter which is usually a correspondence from
the police office or law enforcement agency, and addressed to other public or private agencies,
or between the police organization and the end-users of police service, and other external
parties.
Subject Line 2.It is the gist of the message, and it helps a very busy person finds out in a
split second what the letter is all about.
Salutation 3. This greets the reader and the greeting may be formal or informal, cordial
or personal.
Attention Line 4. To speed up handling of the letter, the attention line is used when the letter
is addressed to a company or to a particular department of a company or to an individual aside
from the addressee.
of office.
File Reference 5. Its use is optional depending on the instructions issued by the chief or head
Complimentary Close 6.It is usually followed by a comma, and comes immediately after the
last
line of the message
Company Signature 7.In a civilian letter, a
may be shown immediately above the
writer's signature, based on the theory that the company, and not the letter writer, is the legal
entity.
Mr.8.It is important to note that
writer's signature, printed or signed named.
should never be placed before the
Reference Initials 9.This appears at the left of the stationery, and that is about two spaces
below the writer's identification.
P.S 10.If a writer has forgotten something in the message, he adds a , and it is intentional to
attract attention.
ENUMERATION:
List at least five (5) types of civilian letter.
11. Invitation Letter
12. Invitation Refusal
13. Information Letter
14. Request Letter
15. Claim Letter
ESSAY:
16-20.Explain the arrangement, style and folding of a civilian letter.