MANILA (Bernama-PNA): More than 7,300 personnel from various government security and emergency response agencies will provide security for the Asean Summit 2026 in Cebu, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday, Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
PNP chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr led the send-off ceremony at Mactan Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City on Saturday, marking the full activation of coordinated national security measures for one of the region’s most significant diplomatic events.
The Task Group Central Visayas under the Committee on Security, Peace and Order, and Emergency Preparedness and Response (CSPOEPR) integrates forces from the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Department of Health (DOH), and Office of Civil Defence (OCD), among others.
The deployment covers site security, convoy protection, coastal and airspace monitoring, traffic management, emergency medical response, and rapid incident handling.
Nartatez also conducted an aerial inspection over key areas in Central Visayas to assess operational readiness, validate deployment plans, and ensure seamless coordination of security forces across critical sites, transport routes, and event venues.
He said preparations for the summit have been comprehensive, deliberate, and continuously refined.
"This operation is the result of extensive planning and sustained coordination, drawing from established best practices in previous national and international events. We are fully prepared to ensure a safe and secure ASEAN Summit,” Nartatez said in a news release.
The ASEAN Summit 2026 will be held May 7 and 8 in Lapu-Lapu City, with foreign delegates arriving as early as May 5 and expected to depart by May 12.
World leaders will discuss key regional issues, including security cooperation, economic integration, and policy development.
-- BERNAMA-PNA
