Iloilo City (CNN Philippines) — All units are on full alert as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting kicked off today in Iloilo City.
The Police Regional Office (PRO-6) said all are set for the two-day APEC meeting titled “Strengthening the Capital Markets, Infrastructure Development and Financing.”
Chief Supt. Bernardo Diaz, PRO-6 director, said more than 2,000 police personnel are deployed in the city to deter criminality and respond to any kind of emergencies during the meeting.
Moreover, Sr. Supt. Cornelio Salinas of the Site Sub-Task Groups (SSTG) on Security said bulk of the policemen are augmentation forces from police offices in loilo, Capiz, Antique, Aklan, Bacolod City, and Negros Occidental.
“I ask the public to bear with the inconveniences in city streets,” said Salinas, referring to a number of checkpoints that will be mounted in strategic places all over the metropolis.
Hundreds of personnel from attached agencies are also on alert for the APEC meeting on “Fostering APEC’s Infrastructure through Long-Term Investment and Capital Market Development” hosted by the Department Finance.
Each member-agency contributed field personnel to join the composite task units which are strategically distributed in the area.
More than 300 delegates from 21 APEC member economies and local government chief executives are expected to attend the meeting held at the Royal Garden Convention Center on General Luna St., Iloilo City.
Iloilo also formed a Site Task Group (STG) “Iloilo” which is composed of 19 agencies and are divided into three Site Sub-Task Groups (SSTGs) to ensure the clear designation of resources: security, peace and order, and emergency preparedness.
Aside from the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies are also on heightened alert.
“We will make sure to maximize the deployment of personnel to ensure the safety and security of the delegates and other guests,” Diaz added.
Meanwhile, the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) said it is ready to supply water in vital areas in the city, particularly the venues of the APEC meeting, amid the water crisis.
“APEC is our priority right now. We have already made some decisions and actions and we are prepared,” said MIWD General Manager Moises Molen Jr.
“If worse comes to worst nga kulang ang tubig sa linya, we will use fire trucks and tankers to deliver water to those areas,” he said.
Molen said they augmented their supply by 2,000 cubic meters daily (CMD) following the rehabilitation of four underground wells owned by MIWD.
