FLIGHT TEST. A hot air balloon is being tested for a flight at the Old Airport in Legazpi City on Thursday (May 2, 2024) in preparation for the Bicol Loco Hot Air Balloon Festival on May 3-5, 2024. At least 17 colorful and giant balloons are expected to fly during the three-day event. (Photo courtesy of AKB)
LEGAZPI CITY – At least 17 colorful, gigantic hot air balloons will hog the limelight with Mayon Volcano as a fitting backdrop at the Old Legazpi Airport here for the first-ever Bicol Loco Hot Air Balloon Festival from May 3 to 5.
In an interview on Thursday, Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-List Rep. Elizaldy Co said the balloons would be up as early as 5:30 a.m., for about two hours on each day.
He noted that all the balloons would be flown by foreigners.
Co said he wanted to make Bicolanos happy and experience different levels of excitement, which is the AKB's reason for coming up with the Loco Festival.
"It's our investment for our Bicolanos, with our ultimate goal being to create jobs. This is just marketing. We want to promote Bicol. We were dreaming this and now it is happening," he said.
Aside from witnessing the flight of the hot air balloons, Bicolanos will also be in for a treat through the performances of various artists.
On the evening of May 3, Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo will entertain the people, to be followed by Ely Buendia and Jericho Rosales on May 4.
Likewise slated are aerobatics, skydiving, and kite-flying activities, among others.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 5 (Bicol) deployed more than 1,500 uniformed personnel to secure and provide assistance to the public during the festival.
In a separate interview, PRO-5 Director Brig. Gen. Andre P. Dizon said it is all systems go for them in assuring the participants' and spectators' safety and security.
"With other local government agencies, we can say we are all ready for the security preparations for the Bicol Loco Festival. Earlier today, we already sent off our security forces with the Albay Provincial Police Office director as task group commander in the airport area. We are hoping that this will be successful," Dizon said.
He added that they also prepared contingency plans in case of emergency or untoward incidents.
"We have command centers in the airport, we also have medical teams ready in any eventualities. We make sure that all activities here like the Magayon Festival, Palarong Bicol, and Bicol Loco are all taken care of and we prepared for it," he said.
Dizon said personnel would perform various security functions, including crowd control, billet security, quick response team operations, rapid security support force deployment, traffic management, and explosive ordnance disposal readiness. (PNA)
