By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

CROWDED BEACH. Tourists spend Good Friday (April 18, 2025) at Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan. Police on Sunday (April 20) said it recorded 31 drowning incidents during Holy Week, lower compared to the 43 in 2024. (Photo courtesy of Malay-Boracay Tourism FB)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday said it recorded a 28-percent drop in the number of drowning incidents during this year’s Holy Week compared to last year.

In a message sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA), PNP information chief Col. Randulf Tuaño said that 31 drowning reports were recorded this year compared to 43 in 2024.

Of the 31 incidents, 19 involved adults while the rest involved minors. Twenty-six died, the PNP said.

Overall, Tuaño said the Holy Week was generally peaceful with more than 69,000 police officers deployed across the country.

“We are still on heightened alert status because we are expecting the return of millions of people from the provinces starting Sunday,” Tuaño said. (PNA)