By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has pointed out the importance of safety and security to improve tourism and the economy in the province.

Lacson made the statement after attending the three-day Integrated Safety and Security Para sa Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection on May 12, wherein 40 police officers were able to complete the seminar.

The governor, also the chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council in Western Visayas, pointed out the importance of the police presence responsible for keeping a community peaceful and to help calm down residents for any situations or problems that may arise.

He reminded police officers that as long as the area is safe, it would be very appealing to the tourists who, in turn, will recommend it to others.

According to Lacson, as part of his speech last week, he pointed out that tourism has a big impact on the country’s economy as, aside from the taxes that can be generated, it also lowers down poverty where the residents will be offered the opportunity to open up businesses and generate jobs.

In March, Negros Occidental Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena said they are hopeful that they will be able to surpass the 500,000 tourist arrivals set by the Department of Tourism.

To meet the target, the provincial government has been actively supporting tourism-related activities over the past few months and encouraging the 31 local government units in Negros Occidental to celebrate their respective festivals to attract more tourists.

Last month, Negros Occidental held a highly-successful Panaad sa Negros Festival, which hit a record-high of P23.6 million in sales./DGB, WDJ