BAGUIO CITY – Some 1,200 police personnel and force multipliers will be deployed by the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) during the conduct of the grand streetdancing and grand floral parades of the 29th edition of the Panagbenga to ensure law and order during the major flower festival events and allow residents and visitors to enjoy a Maginhawa at Ligtas na Flower Festival this year.
BCPO City Director Police Col. Ruel Tagel said that 850 police personnel will come from Baguio’s Finest while 350 will come from the augmentation that will be provided by the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 and other police units
The police official claimed that the deployment plan of the law enforcers and the force multipliers and the traffic re-routing scheme are already in place subject to the minor adjustments, if there will be any, to ensure that the conduct of the twin parades will be orderly and that the flow of motor vehicles will be effectively and efficiently managed.
Tagel said that the local police force will continue to engage concerned stakeholders to address issues and concerns that will arise relative to police visibility, traffic management, emergency response, among others.
According to him, the number of police personnel and force multipliers to be deployed during the major highlights of the annual flower festival is more than enough to ensure the safety and security of the residents and tourists.
The grand streetdancing parade will be conducted on February 22 to be followed by the grand floral parade on February 23, 2025.
Tagel assured the residents and tourists that the local police force is on top of the situation and people can enjoy watching the performances of the participating streetdancers and the beautifully-decorated floats that will be paraded along the provided route, both highlighting this year’s festivities.
For his part, BCPO Traffic Enforcement Unit head Police Maj. James Allen Dugao said that appropriate signages will be installed in strategic areas in the entry points of roads leading to the city to guide motorists to use existing alternate routes in going to their desired destinations in the city or nearby areas so that they will not be caught in traffic once they enter the major roads leading to the central business district that will be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic to pave way for the parades.
He emphasized that the traffic deployment plan of the personnel who will be managing the flow of traffic is already in place considering the expected huge crowd that will be gathered along the parade route and the number of motor vehicles that will be needing parking spaces around the city.
Dugao said that coordination had already been done with the administrators of public and private schools within the central business district area to allow their open spaces to be used as parking areas for the vehicles of the participants, residents and tourists to avoid the wayward parking that might transpire during the conduct of the twin parades.
The parade route of the grand streetdancing parade will be from the Panagbenga Park, Upper Session road, Middle Session road, Lower Session road, Harrison road, Jose Abad Santos Drive, Lake Drive and will end at the Melvin Jones football field while the grand float parade will start at Upper Session road and will follow the same route up to the Melvin Jones football field where the floats will be displayed for public viewing.
Earlier, the BCPO identified the necessary control points in various parts of the city to be able to contain the flow of motor vehicles and the necessary emergency lanes leading to the different public and private health facilities for emergency situations. By Dexter A. See
