Davao City Council Greenlights High-Tech Emergency System
The 21st Davao City Council has given its final approval to a groundbreaking ordinance that establishes the Davao Smart Emergency Response and Locator–Computer-Aided Response and Emergency Dispatch (Seral-Cared) system. The decisive third reading, which took place on November 27, 2025, paves the way for a major technological upgrade to the city's emergency response operations, aiming to save more lives through faster and more accurate dispatch.
Modernizing Services for a Growing City
This innovative system was proposed by Councilor Bonz Andre Militar, who chairs the Committee on Information Technology. The primary goal is to modernize Davao's emergency services to keep pace with the city's rapid urbanization, expanding population, and the logistical difficulties of reaching remote barangays. The Seral-Cared system will function as a GPS-enabled, geospatially integrated, and digitally coordinated platform. This technology is designed to drastically reduce emergency response times by providing precise caller location data and optimizing the dispatch of resources.
Management of the new platform will be handled by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), which will work in close coordination with the City Information Technology Center (CITC) and other relevant city departments. Key features of the system include:
- Advanced GPS-based tracking for both callers and responders.
- Comprehensive geospatial mapping and a barangay geo-tagging registry.
- A dedicated mobile emergency application for public use.
- Strict compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 to protect user information.
Penalties for System Abuse and Misuse
The ordinance includes clear penalties to deter misuse and ensure the system's integrity. Government personnel who intentionally delay or refuse to integrate necessary data without a valid reason will face administrative sanctions.
More notably, the law targets individuals who abuse the emergency system. Prohibited acts include making prank or false emergency reports, transmitting fake GPS signals, unauthorized access or hacking, harassment through the mobile app, and repeatedly using the system for non-emergencies, thereby disrupting critical operations.
The penalties for such violations are structured to escalate with repeated offenses:
- First offense: A written warning and mandatory orientation.
- Second offense: A fine of ₱2,000 or eight hours of community service.
- Third or subsequent offense: A heftier fine of ₱5,000 or imprisonment of up to 30 days, in addition to potential criminal charges.
The ordinance also holds parents or guardians liable for violations committed by minors, and it allows for separate civil or criminal actions to be filed.
Cracking Down on Prank Calls to 911
Councilor Militar emphasized the urgency of these penalties during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos event on November 27, 2025. He announced that the Seral-Cared system is nearly complete and that the ordinance's passage now empowers authorities to penalize those who make prank calls to the city's 911 hotline.
This action is a direct response to data from the CDRRMO, which reveals that the Central 911 receives thousands of calls daily, but a staggering 30 to 40 are legitimate emergencies. The vast majority are non-emergencies or pranks, which waste valuable time and resources.
"The system can filter prank calls, and we can penalize the prank callers, especially when we deploy resources. We can now impose penalties," Militar stated, underscoring the city's commitment to ensuring that its emergency lines remain open for those in genuine need.
Funding for the Seral-Cared system will be sourced from the CDRRMO's allocated budget or other national government sources, all in compliance with standard budgeting, accounting, and auditing regulations.
