BY MAI LADIAO
BORACAY – Peace in this island destination throughout the observance of Holy Week was secured by around 200 police personnel from the Malay Municipal Police Station (MPS).
Lieutenant Colonel Mar Joseph Ravelo, acting chief of police, who assumed the post in January of this year, said they prepared for around 50,000 to 60,000 tourists as anticipated by the town’s Department of Tourism.
“We are on heightened alert with our personnel, meaning there are no days off for our police force. The 200 strong PNP personnel in Malay MPS are here to ensure the safety of our tourists. According to our tourism department, we were expecting 50,000 to 60,000 tourists to come to the island,” Ravelo told Panay News.
He noted that from Holy Thursday until Black Saturday, there have been zero major incidents.
“Fortunately, we have had zero incidents. Maybe it is because of the security measures that we have been implementing,” Ravelo added.
The acting police chief also commended other agencies within the municipal government of Malay for an organized and orderly Semana Santa on Boracay Island.
According to a report by the Malay Municipal Tourism Office, Boracay Island had over 151,000 tourist arrivals from March 1 to 26, or Holy Tuesday. Of these, 33,446 were foreign tourists, 116,980 were locals, and 1,417 were overseas Filipino workers./PN
