QUEZON CITY, (PIA) --Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza II has ordered the deployment of sufficient numbers of personnel to assist in road security and assistance for the country’s hosting of FIBA World Cup 2023.

Mendoza said the focus of the deployment are the roads leading to and from the three main venues of the highly-anticipated basketball event—the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the Mall of Asia in Pasay City, and the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan where the opening ceremony will be held on August 25.

“Kasama ang inyong LTO sa pagtitiyak na maayos at ligtas na daloy ng trapiko sa mga daan patungo sa mga magiging venue ng international event na ito na talagang inaabangan naman ng ating mga kababayan,” said Mendoza.

“Kilala ang Pilipinas sa pagmamahal sa larong basketball kaya inaasahan natin ang dagsa ng ating mga kababayan sa mga lugar na pagdadausan ng FIBA World Cup. At tityakin natin na ang LTO ay magiging kaagapay sa pagtitiyak na magiging maayos ang pagho-host ng ating bansa,” he added.

LTO Law Enforcement Service (LES) Director Francis Almora said all their available resources composed of patrol vehicles, motorcycle patrols and 41 law enforcers would be tapped to help secure the roads and manage traffic at the span of the FIBA event in the country.

“The instruction of Assistant Secretary Mendoza is for us to be in full force in assisting other government agencies for the event. So the LTO will be there to do its job in coordination with other law enforcement agencies,” Almora said.

He said the LTO-LES personnel will assist in providing road security escorts for the players from their hotels and to the venues, and vice versa. He added that the LTO personnel are also directed to assist in traffic management in the venues.

“We have committed all our vehicles and personnel and they will be always on standby 24 hours until the conclusion of this event,” said Almora.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. suspended all classes and work in Metro Manila and in Bulacan on Aug. 25 for the opening of the FIBA World Cup.

Among the government agencies that are taking the lead in securing the event are the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The FIBA World Cup Philippine leg will run from August 25 to September 10. (pia-ncr)