Iloilo city: The local government and the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) have rejected a proposal from the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) to implement a signal shutdown by telecommunication firms during the 2026 Dinagyang Festival highlights scheduled for January 24-25. Joy Gorzal, spokesperson for Mayor Raisa Tre±as, stated that both the local chief executive and IFFI, the event's lead organizer, decided against the network shutdown due to the inconvenience it would pose to residents and visitors.

According to Philippines News Agency, the local government and IFFI have instead requested stricter security measures to ensure safety throughout the festival. Gorzal emphasized that Mayor Tre±as aims to avoid a repeat of previous years when the signal shutdown caused significant inconvenience to neighboring towns and Guimaras.

The proposal was discussed during a visit by Police Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas) director Brig. Gen. Josefino Ligan, along with Deputy Regional Director for Administration Brig. Gen. Alexander Mariano, Deputy Regional Director for Operations Col. Roland Bulalacao, and outgoing ICPO director Col. Kim Legada, to the Office of the Mayor.

During a press conference, the PRO-6 announced the deployment of 3,824 personnel for the festival. Brig. Gen. Ligan assured that the relief of Col. Legada would not impact the security preparations, stating that the security plan for the Dinagyang Festival is in place and just requires some refinement as the event approaches.