By CESAR JOLITO III
The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has deployed 150 police personnel to reinforce security operations for the upcoming Sinulog Festival 2026 in Cebu City, reaffirming the Philippine National Police’s commitment to public safety and inter-regional cooperation during major national events.
The deployment was formalized during a send-off ceremony held on January 14 at the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO), Maringal Hall, Camp Lt. Colonel Francisco C. Fernandez, Jr. at Barangay Agan-an in Negros Oriental’s Sibulan town.
This honors the readiness and dedication of the police contingent tasked with helping ensure the peaceful, orderly and successful conduct of one of the country’s largest religious and cultural celebrations.
Of the total number deployed, 100 personnel are from NORPPO and 50 from the Siquijor Police Provincial Office.
They will be assigned in Cebu from January 15 to 18 to augment local police units amid heightened security requirements for the Sinulog festivities.
PRO-NIR stressed the importance of discipline, professionalism and strict adherence to human rights standards as the personnel perform their duties.
The deployed officers were instructed to remain vigilant and proactive, particularly in crowd control, threat detection and emergency response during the celebrations.
The regional police leadership also assured the public that security operations across the region will remain fully operational and uncompromised despite the deployment.
According to PRO-NIR, sufficient personnel and resources remain in place to maintain peace and order within the region.
The send-off highlighted the strong coordination between PRO-NIR and host police units in Cebu, reflecting the PNP’s unified and whole-of-organization approach to public safety.
Authorities said the collaborative effort is aimed at ensuring a secure environment that allows devotees and visitors to participate in the Sinulog Festival with confidence and peace of mind./CJ, WDJ