MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said Friday the key to maintaining cleanliness and peace and order on Boracay Island, which has reopened to tourists after a six-month rehabilitation, is for the government to tap private and non-government organizations (NGOs).
“Everyone is involved in maintaining cleanliness and peace and order here in the island of Boracay,” Albayalde said in an interview with reporters.
Police forces, along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard, held a capability demonstration exercise on the island on Thursday, showing their response operations in various emergency situations.
“We held the capability demonstration to ensure the public and tourists, both local and foreign, that they are safe, that we are ready to secure their properties and lives, not only the tourists but the whole community of Boracay,” Albayalde said.
He said the island’s police units have been reorganized and more than 600 police personnel have been deployed.
“As of this time, we have a total of 667 uniformed personnel. We have augmentation (units) coming from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for a total of 170,” the PNP chief noted.
He said the PNP gave four new patrol vehicles for Boracay and doubled its police personnel from 200 to 400 to meet the island’s security requirements.
Albayalde also urged tourists to follow the do’s and don’ts at the beach, as police officers will maintain their presence in the area to strictly enforce the ordinances and prevent crimes, such as the proliferation of illegal drugs.
“We will be implementing strictly the ordinances together with concerned government agencies, including environmental ordinances,” he said.
Albayalde said they will help ensure that the prescribed maximum daily tourist capacity of 6,405 people a day is followed.
He added that the new police unit’s headquarters will have five sub-stations located in barangays Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak, and in Caticlan and Poblacion.
The world-renowned island resort was closed in April to undergo rehabilitation and restoration for six months, after President Rodrigo Duterte dubbed it as a “cesspool” due to problems on sewage and waste disposal management. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
