CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — The police force in Central Luzon is on its toes for security preparedness and public safety concerns in the forthcoming celebrations of Christmas and New Year.

Dubbed “LIGTAS PASKUHAN 2023”, all city and provincial police directors in the region were given directives by Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr., regional police director for Central Luzon, to continuously conduct police-focused operations and sustain their level of alertness and vigilance on its “Enhanced Managing Police Operations.”

Security inspections and police presence are also intensified in all bus terminals and places of convergence while a stringent anti-criminality information drive is also being carried out in barangays and commercial business areas as one of its proactive measures to complement its operations.

Police Assistance Desks scattered all over the region are manned by more than 3,000 police personnel to cover all transport terminals, business and commercial establishments, places of worship, and community firecracker zones and display areas not only to ensure public safety and order, but also to provide public assistance to missing persons particularly children and elderly in collaboration with other agencies and volunteer organizations.

These are also complemented by Motorist Assistance Hubs with Route Safety Marshals in major thoroughfares and secondary roads in the Central Luzon until January 6 next year.

Extensive utilization of force multipliers such as volunteer groups, private security guards, and government security forces as partners to enhance security coverage in the communities are also being undertaken by Police Regional Office 3.

Meanwhile, in its last-ditch efforts to prevent the manufacture, distribution, and sale of banned and dangerous firecracker products in the market that would be used for New Year’s Eve celebrations, a series of inspections are being conducted by PNP-PRO3 among firecracker stores and warehouses in Bulacan.

Photo: Police Regional Office 3