Lt. Gen. Paul Atal, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines – Central Command (AFP – CentCom), assured that the entire Visayas is a safe place to stay especially with the closure of Boracay Island drawing near.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony of the 76th anniversary of the Araw ng Kagitingan, Atal said that the simulation exercises they conducted in Oslob town in southeastern Cebu last Saturday, April 7, was just one of their measures to ensure peace and order in the region.
“We’re doing this for the local and foreign tourists in order to enjoy Cebu. Even the foreigners told us after our simulation exercises in Oslob that they feel secure with our presence,” said Atal.
Oslob, located more than 125 kilometers southeast of Cebu City, is popular for its diving spots and whale-shark sightings.
Atal also said they will regularly check tourist attractions but did not provide any further details since they are still assessing the ground situation of Visayas.
“It depends on the level of threats. This will be properly assessed by the commanders in the ground,” he stated.
On the other hand, Atal said that there is no need to limit the number of tourists visiting in Cebu to curb threats on security once the six-month closure of Boracay Island will start this April 26.
“I think there’s no need because we are already anticipating the planned closure of Boracay. It is expected that visitors will have to shift to other tourist attractions. We have anticipated that already, and we already addressed it the best way we can,” he added.