Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Capt. Hazel Tuazon reported on Tuesday that all the police stations in Davao City logged zero casualties for the New Year revelry in the city.
Tuazon said they attributed this to the cooperation of the Dabawenyos in following the policy of the city particularly to the firecracker ban ordinance.
Davao City is implementing the City Ordinance 060-02 also known as the Firecracker Ban which prohibits the possession, use, sale, manufacture and distribution of pyrotechnic devices within the city aiming to ensure the people’s safety as they celebrate the Holiday Season.
“Nagpasalamat ang DCPO sa tanang nagtabang kay generally peaceful ang pagsaulog ug pagsugat sa New Year 2024. Kini tungod sa pag cooperate sa mga Dabawenyos sa mga do’s and don’t’s, sa dili pagpabuto kay naa tay firecracker ban, indiscriminate firing, zero casualty ta sa pagsaulog sa 2024,” Tuazon said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Tuesday.
She said there were no fire cracker-related injuries recorded in Davao City from December 1, 2023 to January 2, 2024.
“Wala gyud ta’y recorded incidents. Naa tay mga kapulisan sa hospitals especially sa Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) para magmonitor kung naa bay mga naospital kay nabuthan or naigo ug bala. Nagpasalamat ta kay wala gyud na report,” she said.
Meanwhile, based on the monitoring of the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH 11) from December 21, 2023 to December 31, 2023, there are a total of six fireworks related injury (FWRI) in Davao Region as of December 31, 2023.
However, no deaths were reported.
On the other hand, DCPO reported a generally peaceful celebration of the New Year in Davao City.
Tuazon also said that DCPO is thankful to the force multipliers who provided some free services to ensure everyone’s safety.
In a statement, city director Colonel Alberto Lupaz said the stringent security preparations including all the necessary measures undertaken by the men and women of the security and safety cluster, including force multipliers and other volunteer groups, with the full support of the city government of Davao through collaborative efforts, interoperability of resources and cooperation paved the way for an orderly and peaceful conduct of the Pasko Fiesta events during the Holiday Season.
Lupaz congratulated all members of Davao City Security and Safety cluster for successful security coverage during the entire celebration of the Yuletide Season and the monthlong Pasko Fiesta 2023 series of events with zero incidents nor a report of casualty of stray-bullet, indiscriminate firing, and firecrackers, particularly during the New Year revelry.
He said the indispensable cooperation and support extended by the community to the law enforcers, coupled with their adherence to the guidelines and SOPs’ on the Culture of Security, particularly the do’s and don’t’s, during major events, had profound effects, contributing to the smooth and effective execution of all the activities.
“Snappy salute to everyone who gave their best and sincerely put their hearts into providing service, spent sleepless nights, and sweated just to make the celebration safe, secure, and successful,” Lupaz said.
Meanwhile, a fire incident was reported on New Year’s eve and another one on the first hour of January 1, 2024.
The first fire happened around 12:43 p.m. on December 31 in San Francisco Village in Barangay Matina Crossing wherein 13 houses were gutted and partially destroyed five.
Around 1:30 a.m. of January 1, a fire broke out in Purok 8, Magsaysay, Calinan, Davao City.
The Calinan Police Station reported that one commercial building and three house were totally damaged while two other houses were partially damaged due to the said fire, which has an estimated structural damage worth P662,000.
A commotion incident also happened in Matina Crossing involving a minor and adults based on the report of Talomo Police Station. Both parties were endorsed to the Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) Section for proper disposition.
