The Department of Tourism in Western Visayas is reminding residents and tourists to observe the minimum health protocols against the coronavirus disease during the Lenten Season.
In an advisory issued Friday, March 26, DOT-6 regional director Helen Catalbas said tourists and stakeholders are reminded to stay vigilant and to observe the minimum health and safety guidelines such as wearing face masks and shields, maintaining proper hygiene, and physical distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the region as more destinations reopen for travel.
DOT-6 also encourages all tourism enterprises and entities to practice contactless transactions particularly in triage centers where guests need to fill out health declaration forms to comply with health and safety protocols.
Meanwhile, Col. Romy Pague, Negros Occidental police director, said that police security for Holy Week from March 28 to April 4 is ready.
They are expecting crowds in transport terminals and other places of convergence as Negrenses visit places of worship and travel, he said.
He said this also poses a security threat, especially since the New People’s Army (NPA) will be celebrating its founding anniversary at the end of month and may take advantage of the situation to commit atrocities.
As a proactive measure, all police stations will establish Police Assistance Desks, deploy police beat patrollers and covert police personnel in public places, and road safety marshals and traffic personnel will be stationed along major routes to manage the traffic and secure the roads.
He added that 2,375 force multipliers will augment the local police during the Holy Week.*