On the reality that tourist destinations can possibly lure delegates of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), authorities rolled out orientation and information dissemination to local information Officers to prepare communities for the foreign and local guests.

This is so that everyone can be prompted as to helping make the Bohol sortie of these tourists as memorable, and worth remembering.

Interior and Local Government Provincial Director Louisella Lucino said they had taken the initiative to brief the Information and tourism officers about the possible official or incognito coming of APEC delegates spilling over on rest and recreation breaks from the over 500 meetings held in three locations in Cebu from August 22 to Sept 6.

Lucino, who was joined by the APEC task group on Emergency Preparedness Deputy Commissioner Vic Tomasar and Office of the Civil Defense ARD Ver Neil Balaba, told information officers gathered at the Jjs Sea Foods Village that about 3,000 APEC guests are already accounted for in Cebu .

Beyond the 3000, APEC also brings in between 90-7000participants and delegates to finance, structural reforms, transportation and energy meetings spread out between September 7 to October 17, Lucino advised.

These delegates brought with them accompanying staff and some family members, effectively ballooning the number to over 5,000 and triggering a spillover from the three hotel venues the APEC picked in Cebu , explained Lucino at the orientation.

APEC has 21 member countries sending in foreign heads of state and their business officials in the Philippines as the country hosted the 2015 meetings and conferences.

And while the meetings in Cebu are expected to keep delegates focused on the activities, police authorities who are in the protective services and Very Important persons (VIP) security have reported break-away groups who have come to Bohol, without officials APEC sanctions.

“We need our people to know that we are also hosting the spill-over in Cebu, considering the proximity of the islands,” PSupt Lorenzo Batuan, Camp Dagohoy ‘s Operations Officer and key Bohol APEC contact person said, during the forum.

As such, we let APEC know that we are a hospitable people, full of warmth and are accommodating, Batuan, who also leads the security and Apec protection services when the delegates are in Bohol .

We wish we could know them, but some APEC delegates skip some meetings to come to Bohol incognito, and pinpoint where they are, we wish Boholanos can be of help, as we always do in receiving these guests and handling them memorably as they pass through our province, adds Lucino.(rac/PIA-7/Bohol)