FIVE-HUNDRED police officers were tapped to secure the 21st Bacolaodiat Festival in Bacolod City from Feb. 20 to 22. (BCPO)
BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod City Police Office will deploy 500 personnel to ensure peace and order in the three-day Bacolaodiat Festival here from Feb. 20 to 22.
Police Capt. Rosalino Pugoy, Bacolod police spokesperson, said that 300 BCPO personnel will be deployed starting Friday afternoon.
An additional 200 personnel from Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) will be on standby.
Pugoy said that these personnel will be assigned to man
festival sites, particularly the Bacolod City Government Center grounds and the Upper East Megaworld. The two other festival sites are SM City Bacolod and Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
This highly urbanized city is celebrating the 21st Bacolaodiat Festival ushering in the Year of the Fire Horse.
Bacolaodiat is a portmanteau of "Baco" (Bacolod) and "laodiat" (Fookien for happy celebration). The festival is spearheaded by Bacolaodiat Inc. chaired by John Stephen Sy.
The city government has allocated P5 million to support the festivity which highlights the merging of the Chinese and the Filipino cultures.