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IT’S all systems go for General Santos city’s famed Tuna Festival that will formally open today amid heightened security measures.

General Santos Vice Mayor Shirlyn Banas-Nograles local officials have finalized the necessary preparations for the “bigger and grander” festivity, which is expected to draw thousands of both local and foreign visitors.

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“So far, everything is set and we’re ready for the opening,” she said.

Organizers picked “mardi gras” as the main concept of the five-day festival, which is themed “Megatuna Fun in Metro Gensan.”

Nograles said organizers have lined up new activities and spiced the usual attractions, which include the tuna float parade, “Sugbahanay sa Fishport,” grand fish fest sa fishport, “Sugbahan sa Dalan,” and the street dancing competition.

The other highlights are the 20th National Tuna Congress, foam party, tuna arts festival, tunaman triathlon, dragon boat competition, tunafest bancarera, jetski challenge and national skimboarding competition.

A carnival and flea market earlier opened at the city’s oval plaza, which is the main venue of the festival.

Nightly shows and concerts featuring several celebrities are also scheduled at the oval plaza until Sept. 5, the culmination of the festival.

Chief Insp. Jovenson Bayona, operations chief of the city police office, said they have increased the presence of police personnel and force multipliers in strategic areas.

He said the entire area is currently under Alert Level 3 in the wake of the continuing implementation of martial law in Mindanao and the spate of bomb attacks in nearby areas, with the latest in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat on Tuesday night.

“We’re fully prepared and we have laid down all necessary security measures to ensure a peaceful and successful festival,” he said.

Bayona said around 800 personnel from the city police and the Police Regional Office-12 would be deployed in various venues during the entire festivities.

He said these would be augmented by 600 force multipliers composed of barangay peacekeeping teams and the city’s civil security unit.

Elements from the Army-led Joint Task Force Gensan will also be on full deployment during the festivity, he said.

Citing their security plan, Bayona said the main deployment will cover the city’s oval plaza, shopping malls, fish port complex, Pioneer Avenue, Queen Tuna Park, entry and exit points and other public areas.

He said they will set up random checkpoints and road blocks as part of a multi-layered security setup.

Closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras have been installed at the entrance and exit points and along the roads surrounding the oval plaza, he said. (Mindanews)

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