THOUGH it may hog the attention of many returning Bisdaks (fusing “Bisaya” and “daku,” the term refers to those born in Cebu and intensely proud to be Cebuanos), the worsening congestion of the city thoroughfares is not the only growing pain of urbanization and cosmopolitanism that concerns residents and visitors.
Things come to a head in January, when arrivals in Cebu shoot up due to the fiesta of the Sto. Nino de Cebu and the Sinulog fiesta. As projected by the GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. Terminal 1, some 250,000 domestic and international visitors may be arriving within the next two weeks for the January festivities, reflecting a four percent-increase over last year’s arrivals, reported SunStar Cebu’s Razel V. Cuizon and Rona Joyce T. Fernandez last Jan. 9.
Thus, maintaining peace and order and ensuring the public’s safety are at the top of the priorities of local governments and law enforcers, made more so by the estimated two million people who will be turning out on Cebu City streets for the major Sinulog events. Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña posted on his Facebook page that Cebu has not had a bombing accident for the past 30 years and he aims to keep it this way, reported SunStar Cebu last Jan. 11.
In this context, the public furor over the banning of backpacks in the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño and major processions is a hiccup, consistent with the past backlash over other security precautions. When the telecommunication companies suspended network services during Sinulog 2017 in response to the security precaution of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the public was overwhelmingly critical of the authorities’ “overreaction” and “paranoia” and harping about the inconvenience of trying to connect in crowds without recourse to mobile phones’ calling, texting, and mobile data features.
However, alternatives were eventually found for the suspension of cellular phone signals, such as landline phones, terrestrial or land-based internet connection, the mobile app FireChat, which bypasses the internet for peer-to-peer connection, and traditional face-to-face preliminary arrangements.
Transistor radio sets and hand-held radio units were resurrected again by the media for their news coverage of major events when mobile phone signals were jammed, as well as by the police and other government offices for coordination during the major religious and festival events.
In this light, the banning of backpacks seems to entail relatively less complicated alternatives than the signal jamming. Switching bags; leaving backpacks in offices, schools, or store package counters; and wearing cargo pants or clothing with pockets for storing phones and purses are simple adjustments to cooperate with the campaign to keep the Sinulog violence-free.
On the other hand, the authorities must conduct an extensive public information/education campaign to thoroughly explain to and prepare citizens for security interventions, particularly since succeeding at making the public understand is the key to securing their cooperation.
Instead of relying only on traditional means of disseminating information through the press or public relations, the authorities must tap social media and bloggers to engage the public. For instance, the backpack ban has stirred up skepticism whether these “cosmetic” measures, like the practice of security officers to poke inside bags, are truly effective for combating crime or terrorism.
The authorities must procure state-of-the-art devices for scanning bags and packages and signal jammers to foil attempts to detonate bombs using cell phones, as well as improve the “interoperability” of the police and other agencies responding to peace and order, safety and security. As Cebu becomes more prominent as a global destination, official plans for ensuring the security of residents and visitors must go beyond merely appealing to the public’s “sacrifice” and “forbearance.”