BAGUIO CITY – More than 600 police personnel from the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), along with hundreds of volunteers, will be deployed throughout the city during Holy Week and the summer vacation season to ensure public safety and maintain peace and order.
BCPO director Col. Ruel Tagel said the deployment of additional police officers will begin in the first week of April as part of preparations for the city’s Summer Vacation (SumVac) activities. He noted that personnel will be assigned to various convergence areas depending on the situation to secure both residents and tourists attending the events lined up for the season.
Joining the police force are volunteers from non-government organizations, emergency responders, traffic enforcers, and scout groups. These volunteers will be stationed not only in key parts of the city but also along national highways leading to Baguio to assist the influx of motorists and travelers expected during the break.
The city government, in partnership with various agencies and private organizations, has prepared a full schedule of events under the 2025 SumVac from March to May. Among the featured events are the Montanosa Film, Art Appreciation and Creative Workshop, Rillera’s Boutique Bazaar, Life in Color Festival, Baguio Folk and Country Festival, Baguio Crafts Fair, and the Ibag-iw Creative Village, which will run every Friday to Sunday throughout April and May.
Holy Week activities will start on April 13 with the traditional Palm Sunday Mass and continue with various religious observances in churches around the city, culminating in the Easter Sunday Mass on April 20. From April 17 to 20, the city will also host the Search for the Baguio-Benguet Lucky Summer Visitor, which ends with the traditional Easter Egg Hunt organized by the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club.
Other key events include the Araw ng Kagitingan celebration on April 9 at Veterans Park, the Baguio Dance Festival from April 23 to 26, and the 80th celebration of Baguio’s liberation on April 27. Food lovers can look forward to the Department of Tourism-led 6th Mangan Tako Food Fair from April 24 to 28 at the Rose Garden, while job seekers can participate in the Labor Day Jobs Fair on May 1.
Rounding out the festivities is the annual Sabsabong ti Mayo (Flowers of May) celebration on May 11, which will coincide with Mother’s Day.
Authorities are urging the public to cooperate with deployed personnel, observe safety protocols, and help ensure a peaceful and orderly observance of Holy Week and summer festivities in the country’s Summer Capital.
