Lapu police prepares for influx of local tourist

The Lapu-Lapu City Hall. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) is preparing for an influx of tourists as the city gears up for the reopening of its tourism industry for domestic clients.

Police Colonel Clarito Baja, chief of the LLCPO, said they are intensifying their mobile patrol and “recorida” and tightening quarantine control points in preparation for the reopening.

The city’s Tourism Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (TCHAC) has started conducting inspections in hotels and resorts for compliance on safety and wellness protocols set by the local government unit, the Department of Tourism, and the national Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).

Read: Lapu braces for reopening of domestic tourism

Tourist police are instructed to be on alert, especially with the enforcement of the health standards required such as the wearing of face masks and observing social distancing . Baja said that it is part of the duties of the police to make sure that people still follow the health standards, even if the city is under general community quarantine (GCQ).

“In coordination sa local government gi inform naman pud ang mga resorts and hotels to properly observe the minimum health standards… Andam pud ta kay naa man atoang mga tourist police nga mo abag pud sa pag implimentar ani,” said Baja.

(In coordination with the local government, we already informed the resorts and hotels to properly observe the minimum health standards. We are also ready because we have tourist police who will help us implement these rules.)

Baja assured that in every tourist destination that is frequently visited by people, there will be policemen assigned not only for security purposes but also for the implementation of health protocols. /bmjo