Security measures are in place for the summer vacation (SumVac) in Negros Oriental, according to the official of the provincial police office yesterday.

Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO) spokesperson Captain Stephen Polinar, in an interview, said they immediately transitioned to Oplan SumVac after the observance of the Holy Week.

“We are now coordinating with provincial tourism officials to determine the trend in tourist arrivals in the past weeks after the war in the Middle East started to guide us accordingly,” Polinar said in mixed Cebuano and English.

Polinar said the Negros Oriental Provincial Tourism Office targets 250,000 tourist arrivals for the first quarter of 2026, or one million for the entire year.

Last year, the province logged 954,344 tourists, up by 15.22 percent from 828,249 in 2024.

As part of the Oplan, tourist police will primarily be tasked to secure visitors in the most visited areas, while other uniformed personnel will conduct foot and roving patrols, checkpoints, or be assigned to police assistance desks.

Polinar said they are also coordinating with other law enforcement units, such as the Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Police, and airport security, to ensure public safety.

More passengers are anticipated at the pre-departure terminals, especially after some shipping companies made changes in sea travel schedules due to the fuel crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict.

Meanwhile, no untoward incidents were recorded during the Holy Week, except for petty crimes that were not related to religious activity, Polinar said. All activities in the church and outdoors, such as the Good Friday processions, were generally peaceful.

Many of the Holy Week tourists are expected to extend their stay in the province for the summer break, he added. (PNA)