TOURIST-FRIENDLY. Some 50 policemen attend a ceremony after completing the Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TopCop), held at the Police Regional Office 8 (Eastern Visayas) headquarters in Palo, Leyte on Friday (Oct. 4, 2019). They will be added to the list of 148 integrated TopCop graduates designated as tourist police assigned to all police stations with tourist destinations. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism)
PALO, Leyte -- A total of 50 police officers from six provincial police and two city police offices in Eastern Visayas have completed the three-day integrated Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TopCop) training.
They will be added to the list of 148 integrated TopCop graduates designated as tourist police assigned to all police stations in tourist destinations.
“This is part of the program of our PNP (Philippine National Police) to address the security in our tourist destinations,” Brig. Gen. Ariel Arcinas told reporters on Friday.
“Eastern Visayas has many tourist destinations, and with the return of the Balangiga Bells, the number of tourist arrival is expected to increase more,” Arcinas said.
These policemen were trained on the Filipino Brand of Service of creativity, hospitality, patriotism, and respect. They were taught on giving first aid, gender development and sensitivity, human rights, the basic principle of tourist safety, and incident command system.
“Every tourist assistant desk must have two TopCops assigned who are well-versed in the tourist destinations in their locality,” said Capt. Alexander Joaquin, chief of public safety section, regional operation management division of the Police Regional Office 8 (Eastern Visayas) here.
In visiting destinations with security problems, tourists are advised to coordinate first with the tourism office of the city or town.
“If possible, they have to coordinate with the PNP so that we can give them security during their visit,” Joaquin added.
Policemen assigned to tourist destinations with security problems bring their service firearms for safety and security.
Of the eight police offices in Eastern Visayas, the Tacloban City police office is the only one with a Tourist Police Unit (TPU).
The presence of major tourist destinations, tourism-related businesses, and the number of tourist arrivals are some of the considerations in creating a TPU.
Last month, national officials of the Department of Tourism and PNP signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen their partnership forged in 2011 in providing and ensuring the safety and security of tourists visiting the country.
Included in the deal is the allocation of funds and resources for the maintenance and operation of Police Tourist Assistant Desks and enhancement training and education of tourist police. (PNA)
