PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY OFFICE
PLTCOL ANGEL B. SUMAGAYSAY (RET)
Officer-In-Charge
Office hours : 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Address : Daang Patnubay, corner Aquino Street, SIR Ph. II, Matina, Davao City
Email : psso@davaocity.gov.ph
Telephone : 295-7722 / 295-3636 / 0956-089-4475 (Admin) / 0954-449-7608 (Opns)
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PSSODavao/
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Mandate and Functions
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About the Public Safety and Security Office
History
The Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) was established in 2010 through Executive Order No. 12, Series of 2010, entitled “An Order Creating the Public Safety Command Center, Defining Its Function, and Appropriating Funds for the Purpose.” It was originally named the Public Safety Command Center (PSCC) and was created to address the bombing incidents in the city and to further strengthen Davao City’s peace and public safety.
The PSSO was further strengthened in 2012 through Executive Order No. 18, Series of 2012, entitled “An Order Repealing E.O. 12, Series of 2010, and Creating the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC), Defining Its Functions, and Appropriating Funds for the Purpose.” The office was renamed to Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) and retained that name until last year. During those years, the PSSCC functioned as a special office under the City Mayor’s Office, tasked with coordinating and integrating all security and safety units in Davao City, as well as overseeing the city’s day-to-day security and safety operations, including big and significant entertainment, sports, and diplomatic events.
These functions and tasks were further expanded with the institutionalization of the PSSCC into a separate office of the City Government through City Ordinance No. 0742-21, Series of 2021, entitled “An Ordinance Creating the Public Security and Safety Office in the City of Davao, Defining Its Duties and Functions, and Appropriating Funds for the Purpose.” It was through this ordinance that the PSSCC was officially renamed the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO).
This institutionalization retained the office’s core functions of coordination, integration, and oversight of the security and safety offices and units, including their respective day-to-day activities in the city. It also officially mandated the office to carry out other tasks it had previously undertaken under the instructions of former Mayors Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Sara Duterte.
The PSSO serves as the strategic command and coordinating center in Davao City for the integration and orchestration of safety, security, criminality, traffic, and emergency response efforts. It supports the maintenance of peace, order, and public safety through close coordination with members of the Security and Safety Cluster–most frequently with the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) for law enforcement, Task Force Davao (TFD) for anti-terrorism, and the 1003rd Infantry “Raptor” Brigade for anti-insurgency. It also works closely with the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) for traffic enforcement and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO)–Central 911 for emergency, disaster, and medical response.
It also facilitates the exchange of important and confidential information and intelligence, helping to maximize resources, prioritize actions, and rationalize law enforcement and military operations.
A major part of these tasks is the real-time monitoring of CCTV coverage at convergence points, major intersections, and areas classified as maximum security zones.
Security personnel, through the Civil Security Guards (CSG) under the Civil Security Unit (CSU), are also consistently deployed to the aforementioned locations, as well as to all public elementary and secondary schools and government-owned establishments in the city. As of Calendar Year 2024, the CSU is composed of 1,700 dedicated men and women personnel.
The PSSO also oversees the integrated deployment of security and safety personnel during major regular events such as the Kadayawan Festival, Pasko Fiesta, and Araw ng Dabaw. This also extends to other large-scale events that are not held regularly in the city, such as major concerts, sports events, and political or diplomatic visits.
This integrated deployment of security and safety personnel also extends to events that apply for a Special Mayor’s Permit. Organizers of these events are subjected to an assessment by the Security and Safety Cluster. Once they have satisfactorily complied with the cluster’s requirements, suggestions, and recommendations, they are issued a Certificate of Approval, which forms part of the requirements for securing the permit. Security assistance is also provided, either upon the organizer’s request or if the Security and Safety Cluster deems it necessary to augment the security and safety deployment of the said event.
Moreover, the PSSO plays an overseeing and coordinating role during the regular quarterly Simulation Exercises (SIMEX) conducted by the Security and Safety Cluster. These exercises aim to ensure the operational readiness and interoperability of the various units and offices, particularly in response to different scenarios–most commonly, acts of terrorism.
These SIMEXes also serve as a valuable opportunity to further promote the Culture of Security. This culture encourages every Dabawenyo to take an active role in our efforts in ensuring the security and safety of the city and fellow residents through the Four (4) Acts of the Culture of Security. The promotion of this culture is also carried out through various community activities, forums, seminars, and orientations conducted by the Security and Safety Cluster.
Furthermore, the PSSO is the designated regulating body for the registration of drones in the city by virtue of City Ordinance No. 0419-20, also known as “An Ordinance Regulating Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Units, or Any Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems in the City of Davao.” As part of this responsibility, we facilitate the issuance of Drone Flight Permits for all drones weighing below seven kilograms.
Likewise, the PSSO is mandated through City Ordinance No. 0331-23, Series of 2023, also known as the Amended CCTV Ordinance of Davao City, to inspect business establishments to ensure they have the required operational CCTV cameras installed within their premises.
The Bantay Bukid program is also under the operational control of the PSSO. It is tasked with the significant responsibility of environmental preservation and ancestral domain protection. This includes conducting regular patrols in the hinterlands of the city to ensure the enforcement of environmental laws, such as the Watershed Management Code, as well as the protection of all enclosed waters within Davao. Additionally, the program ensures that city properties are not encroached upon by illegal settlers.
Likewise, the PSSO is tasked with ensuring that land conflicts within the ancestral domains of our Indigenous Peoples (IPs) do not escalate into violence, and that peace and order are maintained through peaceful negotiations and dialogues between conflicting parties. This task is carried out in coordination with the Ancestral Domain Management Office (ADMO), Tribal leaders, City Legal Office, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and members of the Security Cluster.
The PSSO also has operational control over the Davao River Patrol Group and Coastal Road Monitoring Team. This team was created in October 2020, when then Mayor Sara Duterte observed that Informal Settlers who had built structures atop the dikes and gabions of communities by the riverside are threatening the security and safety of the said community and the city as their structures poses a risk of compromising the structural integrity of the dikes and the gabions.
The Davao River Patrol Group is tasked with dismantling these structures, as well as monitoring, inspecting, and assessing the dikes and gabions for any damage. These dismantling operations are carried out peacefully through dialogues with the residents, helping them understand that the structures they have built pose a security and safety threat to their lives and property.
On the other hand, the Coastal Road Monitoring Team is responsible for monitoring the Davao City Coastal Road, ensuring that illegal settlers do not encroach upon it. The team also serves as a deterrent to loiterers, vandals, and others.
The PSSO is also responsible for monitoring the maritime security of the city, including its riverways and coastal areas, through close coordination with maritime security units such as the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and the respective maritime units of the Davao City Police Office and Task Force Davao.
PSSO also provides support to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in the capacity training and equipping of Barangay Disaster Preparedness and Response Teams, specializing these Teams in MOSAR, WASAR, and USAR considering the respective Barangay’s location and needs.
The office also provides support to CDRRMO during Disaster Response, Monitoring, and Rescue Operations.
The PSSO also has access to the Interpol database. This access was authorized when the office was still named PSSCC, making it the only office in the country at that time with such access. To this day, it remains the only civilian office with access to Interpol.
To sum up, the security and safety of Davao City are maintained through a close-knit network of coordination, all with one goal in mind: to ensure that the peace and tranquility enjoyed by the people of Davao remain undisturbed, especially by man-made incidents. While natural events cannot be avoided, close coordination remains vital for efficient response, helping to minimize damage to life and property.
This allows Davao City to be a place of opportunity for investors as they feel safe and secure that their respective businesses will surely thrive. These business opportunities, in turn, boost the economic development of the city through the provision of more job opportunities. With this, the security and safety cluster of Davao City will always strengthen its capabilities and will always strive to be better to ensure that Davao City remains one of the safest cities in the world.