THE Cebu City Government plans to roll out a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered safety alert system and cameras to enhance traffic management and public safety by December 2025.
Mayor Nestor Archival said that the system and equipment upgrade will include AI-powered closed circuit television (CCTV) camera systems and safety boxes to be installed across the city.
“Para nako mas mapadali ang pag-identify sa mga tawo nga naghimo og dautan,” Archival said last week.
(For me, it will be easier to identify people who commit crime.)
These boxes will incorporate AI to detect unusual movement, identify vehicles and individuals, and accelerate police response times.
These measures target high-risk areas and key public spaces within the city that are prone to crime or traffic incidents.
Archival said he plans to install AI cameras in common areas, such as piers, parks and other public gathering places.
Summit preparations
The mayor also detailed the plans to deploy emergency alert boxes designed to provide instant connections to the police nerve center.
“I already talked to the police about that. The moment somebody pushes it, they can speak directly to our base. What we are solving with Councilor Paul (Labra, peace and order committee chair,) is how we will respond to that,” Archival said in Cebuano.
He hinted that this will be incorporated with the existing City’s 911 emergency center. However, he has yet to determine if the existing facility to accommodate emergency calls is within the city’s jurisdiction or it has to be connected to the national facility.
With the approaching 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit, which will be held in Cebu City, Archival underscored pouring support to City’s law enforcement agencies.
He said he is looking for funding to support the Cebu City Police Office’s request for additional motorcycle and four-wheel vehicle patrol units to boost emergency response and heightened patrol.
He has also coordinated with Labra to come up with a plan in preparation for the Asean Summit, where high official delegations from different Southeast Asian countries will converge in the city next year. / EHP