THE Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6) secured the 49th Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on Asean Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) in Iloilo City from February 25 to 27, 2026.
PRO 6, led by Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, deployed 1,900 security personnel for Asean-related meetings in Boracay, Aklan, from March 2 to 6, 2026, with no reported security-related incidents.
Ligan, commander of the Asean 2026 Site Task Group Iloilo, said the peaceful outcome reflected the commitment of all forces involved.
“The peaceful and incident-free conduct of this important gathering reflects the professionalism, dedication, and discipline of all personnel of Asean 2026 STG Iloilo, as well as the strong support and cooperation of partner agencies, local government units, and the community,” Ligan said.
“Their collective effort and shared commitment to public safety were instrumental in the overall success of the event,” he added.
A total of 88 delegates and participants from Asean member states attended the three-day HLTF-EI meeting in Iloilo City to discuss strategies and initiatives to strengthen regional economic cooperation and integration.
As Site Task Group commander, Ligan supervised the deployment of trained personnel who implemented layered security measures, including venue and billet security, route management, patrol operations and round-the-clock monitoring at the Multi-Agency Coordinating Center.
Police assistance desks were also set up to provide immediate support to delegates and attendees.
To enhance coordination and real-time monitoring, PRO 6 activated Project Dapay, a drone-based monitoring system that provided aerial surveillance and situational awareness throughout the international gathering.
Following the Iloilo City event, security forces shifted focus to Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan, where 1,900 personnel were deployed for the Asean Senior Level Committee on Financial Integration and Related Meetings scheduled from March 2 to 6, 2026.
The deployment came after the successful conduct of the accounting and pre-deployment briefing of security forces and logistical resources for Asean 2026 on March 1, 2026, at the Caticlan Covered Court in Caticlan, Malay, Aklan.
The activity was led by Police Colonel Ramos, provincial director of the Aklan Police Provincial Office (Akppo) and Site Security Task Group commander.
Also present were Ralph Tolosa, ex-officio Sangguniang Bayan member and Liga ng mga Barangay president of Malay, Aklan; Pastor Peter Arbolario of the Pastor Council of Malay; task unit commanders; and augmentation personnel from various security units.
Tolosa delivered a message on behalf of the municipal mayor, underscoring the role of the community in sustaining gains and best practices from previous Asean-related events hosted in the province.
The Boracay deployment forms part of comprehensive security preparations to ensure the safe and orderly conduct of the financial integration meetings, which are expected to gather senior officials and delegates from Asean member states.
PRO 6 said the back-to-back operations in Iloilo City and Boracay demonstrate the region’s capability to host high-level international events while maintaining strict security standards and inter-agency coordination.
The regional police office reiterated its commitment to sustain heightened security measures for all major events in Western Visayas to ensure public safety and the protection of local and foreign delegates. (Leo Solinap)