DAVAO City has added another feather to its cap: third safest city in Southeast Asia for 2024. This is according to the latest Numbeo Index, which is a global data base of relevant information on cities and countries consisting of contributions from users worldwide.
During the period, Davao City received a 72.5 safety index rating, which is impressive considering the key metrics that Numbeo looked into when it did its evaluation and ranking: crime rates, police efficiency and the residents’ perception of safety.
Chiang Mai in Thailand and Singapore, Singapore both took the top spot with a rating of 76.5 Other cities in the top 10 list included Penang, Malaysia; Hanoi, Vietnam; Makati, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; Iloilo, Philippines; Pattaya, Thailand; and Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
By all indications, this is no small feat for Davao City, considering not only the equally high premium that our other Southeast Asian neighbors have put on peacekeeping, but also on the pressing peace and security challenges that our city had to confront last year.
The first metric is an indication of how the city was able to keep lawless elements at bay, leading to a major drop in the local crime rate. This was achieved through heightened law enforcement activities, stronger community engagement and expanded surveillance.
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO), led by acting city director PCol. Hansel Marantan, successfully applied strategies that struck at the heart of criminality: anti-drug operations, ramped up crackdowns on illicit activities and increased visibility.
As part of the city’s efforts to protect its residents against the drug menace, authorities carried out 1,390 anti-drug operations, which led to the arrest of 1,784 suspects. This sends a clear and strong message to drug peddlers that they have no place in the city.
Due credit must be given to the Davao City government, under the leadership of Mayor Sebastian Duterte, for aligning its peace and security agenda with the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) major policy directives.
The security sector will only be able to fulfill its mandate if it has the full backing of local government units. Clearly, Mayor Duterte understands the importance of such synergy and has thrown the city’s full support behind the DCPO so it could effectively do its job.
Numbeo’s second metric – police efficiency – indicates the Davao City police force’s capacity to perform at the highest level given the personnel, logistics and equipment, and expertise that it has at its disposal.
Such capability enabled the DCPO to go full throttle against the city’s top miscreants. This aggressive campaign paid huge dividends, as law enforcers collared 1,916 individuals, 490 of which were the city’s most wanted.
There was also no let-up in the city’s battle against illegal gambling – ‘jueteng,’ ‘tong-its,’ as well as online betting platforms - as the city’s police force conducted 488 operations, leading to the arrest of 1,179 individuals.
To keep the city safe against the threat of gun-related violence, the DCPO conducted 323 operations, resulting in the arrest of 123 individuals and the confiscation of a large swath of illegal firearms.
Last year also saw an improvement in the city’s road safety efforts, with a two percent decline in local vehicular accidents. Accidents went down from 5,678 in 2023 to 4,207 in 2024, while fatalities decreased from 82 to 80 during the same period.
Our authorities must continue to focus on enhancing the safety of our roads due to frequent accidents, particularly at the Diversion Road. The culprits are motorists who think that roads are racing tracks or those who simply do not have any regard for the welfare of pedestrians.
‘Uso-uso’ jeepneys still rule over the city’s thoroughfares, zipping and zigzagging through downtown traffic and narrowly hitting passersby. These road monsters must not be allowed to ply the city’s streets.
The Numbeo Index’s third metric – resident’s perception of safety – is a testament of how Dabawenyos not only perceive but most importantly, feel the impact of the city’s peacekeeping efforts.
A sense of security doesn’t only come from being able to sleep soundly at night. It is also being able to walk the streets at any time of the day without fear of being mugged, held at gun-point or hit by a speeding car.
Most of all, one’s sense of security comes from the thought that your local government and authorities have your back, and you don’t have to look behind your shoulder whenever you’re in the streets or when the sun goes down.
We must remember, however, that peace and security is not only the responsibility of the government but a collective effort. All sectors of society must work together to ensure that our beloved city is safe, secure and resilient against the forces of unpeace.