More of the finest men and women of the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be stationed in popular tourist sites, even as the Department of Tourism (DOT) assured that the country remains a safe haven for international and local tourists.
“While the continuous influx of foreign guests attests to our image as a safe tourist destination, we must enhance security and preventive measures through police presence and visibility,” Tourism Secretary Wanda T. Teo said.
“Needless to say, the few good men and women of the PNP have served not only as protectors to our foreign guests and the general public, but also as diplomatic hosts in the tradition of Filipino hospitality,” Teo pointed out.
At least 46 personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) formally joined the ranks of the Tourist Police Unit after recently completing a seminar-workshop on Tourism-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (Topcop) conducted by the DOT-NCR in cooperation with the PNP.
Teo said other DOT regional offices and local police units are jointly preparing to implement the Topcop program.
In Metro Manila alone, “the DOT-NCR will hold a series of Topcop seminar-workshop to produce 200 more tourist police officers by 2017,” DOT-NCR officer in charge Director Ina Z. Loyola said.
Loyola spoke at the graduation of the first batch of Topcop, citing the vital role the policemen performed in facilitating, as well as securing, major international events like the recent Asean Plus 3 Summit.
Chief Supt. Emmanuel Luis D. Licup, PNP deputy director for operations, also addressed the Topcop graduates, saying the program is an opportunity for them to show the outstanding qualities of police officers.
“Let us put our best foot forward and earn the respect that we, uniformed men and women, so deserve,” Licup stressed.
The weeklong seminar-workshop covered the following topics: Tourism Basics and Trends; Child Safe Tourism/Child Protection Laws, Tourist Behavior Patterns and Market Profiles; Local Products and Services; Basic Investigation Procedure and Security and Safety Protocols; Community-Oriented Policing System; Incident Command System; Immigration Laws and Procedures and Crisis Incident Management.
Also joining Loyola in inducting the new Topcop graduates were Senior Supt. Chito G. Bersaluna of the NCRPO Regional Training and Education Division, Senior Supt. Rudolph B. Dimas of the Public Safety Division; DOT-NCR Chief Tourism Operations Officer Catherine C. Agustin and DOT-NCR Training Director Mariville Ramos.