There is a proposal to declare the Roxas Night Market as a maximum security zone upon the recommendation of peace-keeping and security agencies in Davao City.
The plan comes from a recommendation led by the Task Force Davao and is now being drafted as a possible measure in the Sangguniang Panlungsod by council member Mabel Sunga-Acosta.
The maximum security zone provides for optimum security measures in an area declared as such. Within the declared area, security policies like prohibition on wearing jackets and carrying backpacks will be strictly implemented. Other salient security features are the use of transparent garbage disposal bins and unlabelled water bottles. Other than that, body checks and bag inspections will become a routinary feature upon entering the zone. In the event that the popular night market area will be declared as such, it will be the second of ist kind in Davao City. The first one is the San Pedro Square which was declared as max security zone during the Kadayawan festivities.
Without overextending the tight security measures, the plan appears to be reasonable following the bombing incident in the Roxas Night Market two years ago. It makes sense that with the dense crowds in the area on a regular basis owing to the cheap food and ukay ukay stalls, the area should fall under the max security classification.
However, the city government should make declarations of such zones circumspect and not whimsical. The city cannot afford to under very tight security procedures as it would also scare off tourists and investors, giving the impression that it is scary and dangerous to be roaming about in the city especially at night. Through the years, Davao City has maintained very good peace and order measures implementation and may as well keep it that way than declare more areas under max security.
It is important that even without such declaration, Dabawenyos must be aware at all times of the security measures they need to habitually practice like the prohibition on backpacks and jackets and ensure that they do not pose any perceivable threat to security.
To be safe wherever one goes, security consciousness must be part of the new Dabawenyo lifestyle.
