ILOILO City – A total of 7,257 law enforcers are being mobilized to maintain peace and order this Dinagyang Festival, with activities officially beginning today, January 23.
The Site Task Group (STG) Dinagyang, led by Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Police Colonel Kim Legada, launched the security initiative during a send-off ceremony at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand on January 22.
Legada outlined the festival’s key events, including food festival starting today, the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan on January 25, and the grand Ati tribes competition on January 26.
This year, the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Incorporated (IFFI) has introduced additional side events, expanding the festival’s area of coverage and requiring heightened security measures.
Of the total deployment, 5,225 personnel are organic members, including 3,369 from the Philippine National Police (PNP), 23 from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), 268 from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), 376 from Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) units, and 754 from the Iloilo City Traffic Management Office/Public Safety and Management Office (ICTMO/POSMO).
Force multipliers, numbering 2,467, bolster the security effort. Despite this, there remains a shortfall of 2,032 personnel, primarily within the PNP, which requires an additional 76 Police Commissioned Officers and 1,956 Police Non-Commissioned Officers.
“The collaborative effort among various groups ensures the safety of locals and visitors as we celebrate Dinagyang Festival 2025,” said Legada./PN
