100 tourist police deployed in 4 coastal towns of Bataan

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – About 100 highly-trained tourist police officers are now assigned to four coastal Bataan towns to ensure the safety and protection of expected thousands of local and foreign visitors this summer vacation.

Police Inspector Jennifer Cruz, spokesperson of Bataan police office, said the newly-formed tourist police are projected to routinely patrol the province’s beach resorts frequently visited by vacationers in the towns of Morong, Bagac, Mariveles and the historical Mount Samat National shrine in Pilar.

Ms. Cruz said the uniformed peacekeeping tourist police team riding in bicycles with first aid kits, a program of the Bataan Peninsula Tourism Council Foundation Incorporated (BPTCFI) is another promotional and protective measure in keeping Bataan as a premier tourist destination in Central Luzon.

Mrs. Vicky S. Garcia, chairperson of BPTCFI, said the continuous improvement of amenities and the setting up of tourism-oriented services in the 60 beach resorts have attracted tourists from Metro Manila and nearby provinces to Bataan.

Mrs. Garcia cited popular attractions including the Mount Samat zipline, the longest in Central Luzon in Pilar town, the Pawikan Conservation Center and the mothballed nuclear power plant in Morong, and about 10 waterfalls situated in the thickly forested areas of the province and significant historical landmarks that continue to lure foreign tourists to the peninsula.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office in Central Luzon ranked Bataan as the 3rd tourist destination while the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) with 75% of its land area belonging to Bataan topping the list.