PSSO: 2023 Kadayawan celebrations very peaceful

This year’s Kadayawan Festival was held without a major security incident reported, according to the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO).

Around 23,000 personnel were deployed to secure the Kadayawan activities, the biggest of which was for the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan and Pamulak sa Kadayawan held over the weekend with a record-breaking number of participants and spectators.

“Natapos gyud ang mga events nato, ma-official man siya or accredited event, ug ang result is very peaceful and normal. So, wala’y mga nahitabo na significant (security) incidents sa celebration of Kadayawan 2023 (Our events ended, whether they are official or accredited events, and the result is very peaceful and normal. So, there were no significant incidents in the celebration of Kadayawan 2023),” PSSO Head Angel Sumagaysay said during the Madayaw Davao program aired over the Davao City Disaster Radio on Tuesday.

Approximately 50,000 people participated in Saturday’s Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan which, according to Sumagaysay, is almost triple the number logged in the same activity in 2022, while the crowd during the Pamulak sa Kadayawan on Sunday was almost double the size of last year’s.

He said the security plans formulated for each Kadayawan activity were carried out with little to no mishap by the security cluster’s various units.

Addressing allegations of selective admittance into the Indak-Indak venue circulating online, Sumagysay explained that the space nearest the stage in San Pedro Square were not just reserved for important guests but also for persons with disability, pregnant women, and senior citizens in a first-to-come, first-to-be served basis.

The area was also where the performers, technical support group, emergency medical staff, and other personnel whose function is to maintain the orderly flow of the activity were put on standby. These people, he said, must be given enough space to perform their duties with little distraction.

Sumagaysay said the security plan for the Indak-Indak only allowed a controlled number of people to occupy the area around the stage to reduce the risk of a stampede and crowd crush.

“Mas dako nga problema kung pabayaan nato na makasulod ang tanan unya at the end of the day, naa’y mahitabo. So part na siya sa safety assessment na dapat kini ra gyud ang volume sa tao na pwede makasulod sa area (The bigger problem is if we let everyone in then at the end of the day, something will happen. So it is part of the safety assessment that there is only a certain volume of people that can enter the area),” said the PSSO chief.

Despite this, Sumagaysay said the overall celebration has been successful, thanks to the cooperation of all sectors and the participation of citizens and visitors.

“Ang credit dili man gyud tana para sa security cluster pero ang credit goes to all Dabawenyos nga nakipag-celebrate sa atoa, ang support sa local government, ang cooperation ng bawa’t isa sa iba’t-ibang sectors ug ilang cooperation sa safety and security cluster (The credit is not only for the security cluster, but the credit goes to all Dabawenyos who celebrated with us, the support to the local government, the cooperation of everyone in the various sectors and some cooperation in safety and security cluster),” Sumagaysay said.

The security cluster will continue to provide security coverage in various parts of the city where Kadayawan activities are still ongoing up to August 31. CIO