09/12/2025
PNP BOLSTERS INTER-AGENCY SECURITY MEASURES FOR ASEAN SEOM IN BORACAY
As the Philippines prepares to host the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) Retreat 2026 from December 10 to 13, 2025, the Philippine National Police, under the leadership of Acting Chief PNP, Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., has heightened its security posture on Boracay Island through full-scale inter-agency contingency planning, tabletop exercises, and communication drills with both local and national partner agencies.
The activity held on December 4, led by the ASEAN Site Task Group “Boracay” under Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6), is part of the PNP’s early and intensified preparations to ensure that all security, safety, and emergency-response mechanisms are fully synchronized ahead of the international gathering.
It also reflects the PNP’s ongoing commitment to its mantra of Bagong PNP para sa Bagong Pilipinas—Serbisyong Mabilis, Tapat, at Nararamdaman, where the agency not only provides security but also ensures that every visitor genuinely feels safe, cared for, and supported.
The event gathered key officials from the Provincial Government of Aklan—including Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores and Malay Mayor Frolibar S. Bautista—alongside Site Commanders for Security, Peace and Order, and Emergency Preparedness and Response. Representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the host agency, also participated.
Members of the Committee on Security, Peace and Order, and Emergency Preparedness and Response (CSOEPR) were likewise present, including the DILG, 3ID Philippine Army, PCG, BFP, NICA, DICT, OCD, DOH, OTS, CAAP, BI, and PAF, together with focal persons from Ciriaco S. Tirol Hospital, the Safety and Security Office of Caticlan Airport, and Transaire Malay.
Acting Chief PNP Lieutenant General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. commended the unified effort and underscored the importance of early coordination. “From day one of our preparations, our priority is clear: we will deliver an environment where every delegate feels safe, secure, and well-supported. This exercise shows that our agencies are aligned and ready to perform as one cohesive team.”
He further emphasized the value of practical simulations in enhancing operational readiness, stating: “Tabletop discussions allow us to plan, but simulations allow us to test ourselves. What we practiced today strengthens our real-world response and ensures we are prepared for any scenario during the SEOM Retreat.”
PLTGEN Nartatez also highlighted that the PNP’s responsibility extends beyond providing security presence. “Hindi lang pagbabantay ang trabaho natin. Dapat maramdaman din ng mga bisita na ligtas at panatag sila. The world will be watching Boracay, and it is our responsibility to show that the Philippines can host with professionalism, discipline, and genuine hospitality.”
The Acting Chief PNP PLTGEN Nartatez expressed appreciation to all partner agencies, noting: “The success of this mission depends on our unity. I thank our local governments, national agencies, and community partners for standing with us. Together, we will make the ASEAN SEOM Retreat 2026 a model of effective inter-agency cooperation.”
The PNP, through PRO6’s ASEAN Site Task Group “Boracay,” affirmed that it will continue to enhance its security and emergency plans in close coordination with all stakeholders to ensure a smooth and secure hosting of the ASEAN SEOM Retreat 2026 in Boracay, Aklan.
