BACOLOD City – Authorities here are “50 percent” ready to secure the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Credit Bureau and Finance Meeting from April 29 to 30, said Chief Superintendent Josephus Angan, Police Regional Office 6 director.

Angan was here to give a briefing on the members of the peace and order task group.

He ordered police personnel not to abandon their APEC assignments.

About 2,000 police officers from all over Western Visayas will be deployed to this city to augment the security forces, he said.

They will be assigned to SM City Bacolod’s SMX Convention Center, the Meeting’s venue, and hotels that will billet the delegates.

Some of them will escort estimated 600 guests who are expected to visit several tourist destinations in Negros Occidental like The Ruins in Talisay City, Mambukal Resort in Murcia town and beach resorts in Sipalay City, said Angan.

Personnel from the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, headed by Major General Rey Leonard Guerrero, will help secure the international event.

A dry run of the security operations will be held on March 26.

APEC local organizing committee executive director Rhoderick Samonte said the National Organizing Council has already identified the hotels that will accommodate the guests.

They were L’Fisher Hotel, Ecotel, Chalet, Avenue Suites, Business Inn, Planta Hotel, Metro Inn, Eastview Hotel, and the GT Hotel.

“We are just awaiting the final order from the Department of Finance,” which is in charge of the APEC Credit Bureau and Finance Meeting, he said.

The local organizing committee will book about 600 hotel rooms to accommodate some 250 foreign and national delegates attending the APEC meeting./PN