Valenzuela City made it once more to the list of safest cities in Southeast Asia in the latest report of the collaborative online database Numbeo. With a 25.21 percent crime index and 74.79 safety index, the City has ranked second – next only to Singapore. 

Crime Index, the website says, is an estimation of overall level of crime in a given city or a country. Numbeo considers crime levels between 20 and 40 as being low. On the other hand, cities with higher safety index are considered safer. 

Previously, Valenzuela placed third when Numbeo released the figures in mid-2015. Singapore and Davao City ranked first and second, respectively during that time. 

Making Valenzuela City safe and livable has been one of the top priorities of the local government. It has been working hand-in-hand with the Philippine National Police (PNP) - Valenzuela in ensuring a safe environment for Valenzuelanos. Recently, the City turned over 60 new police mobile units equipped with dashboard cameras and Global Positioning System (GPS) to the local police force. 

To further heighten the police visibility in the City, Police Assistance Desks (PADs) are positioned along the major thoroughfares and are manned 24/7. This is coupled with capability enhancement trainings for the City’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, and provision of weapons. 

Furthermore, Valenzuela City is one of the few LGUs in the country that maintains its own Canine Kennel. It has nine trained dogs that are being kept by professional K9 handlers and trainers. 

City Mayor REX Gatchalian shares the credits with the well-discipline Valenzuelanos. The efforts of the local government are being met by the constituents’ cooperation in upholding the peace and order in their own vicinities. Six barangays in the city have already been declared drug-cleared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Just recently, 24 out of 33 barangays have been confirmed as drug-free workplace. This shows that when the public sees good projects, they in turn compensate it with good deeds that would eventually lead to a safer and more livable community. 

The Mayor considers being included in the list as an achievement for the City. “Peace and order is correlated with economic development. Safety in the city stimulates more vibrant economic activities, creating more jobs and other opportunities for its people.” He said. 

He also added that the inclusion of Valenzuela City among the safest in Southeast Asia poses a challenge to the local police force and the barangay peace-keeping corps to be more honest and efficient in the conduct of their duties. 

Numbeo is “the world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide.” Information on each of the city’s cost of living, housing indicators, health care, traffic, crime, and pollution is available on the site. The rank and figure are based on the input of the site’s visitor over the period of three years.