ILOILO CITY — In addition to providing security for the reopening of Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan and the ongoing celebration of the MassKara Festival in Bacolod City, the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) is also preparing to ensure peace and order during the observance of All Saints’ and Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2.
Supt. Joem Malong, spokesperson of PRO-6, said as in previous years, public assistance desks will again be established in different areas in the region, particularly in the cemeteries, terminals, seaports and other areas of convergence.
The assistance desks will cater to the needs of the public and respond to any untoward incident that may happen, she added.
Malong assured that they are also prioritizing their “Undas” preparations despite hectic schedules on Friday for the opening of Boracay and the MassKara event on Sunday.
“We are expecting that many people will travel going to other hometown so, we want all the ports and seaports to be orderly,” she said, adding that the influx may already start early next week.
In cemeteries, Malong reminded the public to avoid bringing with them firearms, illegal drugs, alcoholic drinks and deadly weapons.
“They should refrain from bringing these things so they will not cause harm to other people,” she said.
Malong said that some police personnel will also be deployed to work hand-in-hand with the military and other force multipliers to implement security measures before, during and after the annual observance.
However, she cannot disclose yet the total number of the personnel involved in the “Undas” security.
Malong also assured that all police units in the region will be more active in their security measures.
He urged the public to cooperate with them and avoid committing violence during the observation of “Undas”.
Meanwhile, the municipality of San Jose de Buenavista is also all set for the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
San Jose de Buenavista Mayor Elmer Untaran said the cleanup of the three public cemeteries started last week, through the Municipal Economic Enterprise and Development Office (MEEDO).
“The cleanup of the two public cemeteries in San Jose de Buenavista and one in Barangay San Pedro started since last week by the MEEDO personnel,” he said.
Aside from MEEDO personnel, family members of those buried in the public cemeteries also already did their own tidying up.
Untaran said that aside from cleaning the cemeteries, the local government unit will also be deploying medical assistance teams, headed by the Municipal Health Officer Dr. Melba Billones, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Alex Crespo, and traffic personnel to ensure that the two-day observance will be peaceful and orderly.
Untaran further said that for two years already, the LGU had been treating children who go to the cemeteries with free ice cream and cotton candy.
“I inform parents to pass by with their children in front of the cemeteries so that they could have free ice cream and cotton candy,” he said.
He also said that there will be rerouting of traffic during the two-day observance to prevent congestion.
The mayor, however, did not give details of the rerouting plan yet. (Cindy Ferrer and Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/PNA)
