BOHOL – With a team of 100 tourism police officers ready for deployment, Bohol looks set to receive its share of a national program initiated in April to ensure that safety remains a priority at one of the country's most popular destinations.

National rollout gains presidential approval

The deployment that will take place after the approval of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will involve a joint effort from two main governmental departments: The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Tourism (DOT). Speaking at a press conference, DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that 800 personnel will be deployed for this purpose. As part of the first phase of implementation, a number of popular and busy areas have been selected. These include Bohol, BGC, Poblacion in Makati, Boracay, Siargao, Cebu, and Puerto Princesa. In Bohol alone, 100 police officers will be deployed.

Equipment and mobility for tourist zones

In order to increase their mobility both in busy tourist spots and scenic places away from crowded areas, motorcycles and body cameras will be provided to these police officers.

"The top tourist spots in the country will have the tourist police, they will be identified, they will have body cams," said Remulla regarding the new initiative that is aimed at increasing police presence in popular tourist areas, reducing crimes and improving response times in emergencies, creating a friendly environment for tourists and residents.

Emergency hotline for every visitor

Among other features of the program, tourists entering the Philippines will each receive a calling card that includes the emergency hotline number, which is 911. According to Remulla, the Unified 911 system introduced by the government registered a response rate of 97 percent in handling close to four million emergency calls throughout the year in 2025.

Complementing existing R.I.D.E. Patrol

The nationwide deployment of these security forces utilizes the security system already in place in the region. On January 12, 2026, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) launched the R.I.D.E. Patrol of the Bohol Tourist Police Unit (BTPU). This consists of 88 specially trained officers deployed across Bohol. R.I.D.E., which stands for Rescue, Intervention, and Defense in Emergencies, is mounted on All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) in order to cover locations such as the beaches and trails of resorts which cannot be reached via regular patrol cars.

PRO-7 commitment to world-class destination

PBGEN Redrico A Maranan, Regional Director of PRO-7, highlighted the significance of the initiative. "As Central Visayas welcomes both leisure travelers and international delegates, our security measures must be adaptive, visible, and responsive. The R.I.D.E. Patrol demonstrates PRO-7's commitment to safeguarding tourists and maintaining confidence in Panglao as a world-class destination."

Dual security layers boost visitor confidence

With the province having registered over 1.4 million tourists in 2025 and Panglao Island alone hosting 62,240 visitors during the Christmas holiday break, the dual layers of security—the existing BTPU R.I.D.E. Patrol and the newly arriving 100 tourist police officers—are expected to significantly enhance visitor confidence.

Economic benefits for the middle class

Remulla also noted that strengthening tourism safety brings economic benefits, particularly to the country's middle class. "When you improve tourism, it's the middle class that benefits. They contribute the most and they get the very least benefit. We have to strengthen the middle class and make the country better," he said.