By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Security measures imposed in Negros Oriental will not affect the upcoming Panaad sa Negros Festival of Negros Occidental next month.

The festival’s formal launching was held at the Provincial Capitol Park and Lagoon in Bacolod City yesterday afternoon.

Provincial Tourism Officer and Festival Director Cheryl Decena said even before the Pamplona massacre happened in the neighboring province, the local government and law enforcement were already hard at work to plan the festivities’ security.

Among the lead agencies which will be leading the security and safety of the festival goers include the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Decena is confident that a lot of tourists will arrive to witness Panaad sa Negros after a three-year hiatus brought by the pandemic.

She said, based on the statistics they have gathered so far, tourist arrivals are already picking up.

The provincial tourism office is confident that they will be able to beat the targets set by the Department of Tourism for this year.

She also pointed out that tourists who are planning to visit Negros Oriental may opt to visit Negros Occidental instead.

However, she said Negros Occidental is not taking advantage of the security situation.

They need to prepare the available accommodations for the thousands of tourists they are expecting to visit the province this year, she said.

Dubbed the “Festival of all Festivals” in Negros Occidental, the Panaad sa Negros launch was originally slated for last month.

The launching was postponed to give enough time for the provincial government to reveal the festival’s official logo and music./DGB, WDJ