REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GORONTALO -- The local Kwandang Navy Post (POSLAL) has stepped up its patrols to ensure security for the Sail Tomini event and the Boalemo Festival in North Gorontalo of Gorontalo Province in Sulawesi.
The Chief of Kwandang POSAL, Second Let. Elektronika Samingin, said on Saturday that his side was deploying a fleet with 30 personnel to safeguard the North Gorontalo waters around the Ponelo and Saronde islands.
The patrols are being conducted in view of the expected visits of 42 foreign ships, which will attend a yacht rally during the Tomini Sail and Boalemo Festival events.
The ships will make a stopover for three days around the Saornde Islands.
"Patrols with be carried out not only in the waters, but also on land, particularly at the Kwandang and Anggrek seaports," he said.
He said the patrols were being conducted to provide security confidence for ships anchoring in the region's waters.
Indonesia has been hosting the "Sail Indonesia" events over the past few years to promote its marine tourism and introduce the beauty of its natural marine resources.
This year, the Sail Indonesia event is called "Sail Tomini" as it will be held in the Indonesian largest gulf, the Tomini Bay, which borders the eastern provinces of Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi and North Sulawesi.
The Sail Tomoni event will take place in the Parigi Moutong District, Central Sulawesi, on September 19.