DAVAO — On Saturday, January 24, authorities recovered 23 unexploded ordnance in Davao City’s Barangay Buhangin Proper.

According to the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Batallion Support Command’s technical inspection, the explosives are thought to be from World War II and weigh close to 32 kg in total.

According to authorities, the explosives were of a sort utilized by the Japanese military.

Even though the explosives were old and already corroded, it was determined that they still posed a significant risk to the local community and its population.

Authorities reassured the public that the location is now safe after the vintage explosives were successfully collected.

According to local officials, the explosives were discovered during an excavation and clearing operation in a developing area of the city. Workers immediately alerted authorities after uncovering several rusted metallic objects suspected to be bombs.

The Davao City Police Office, together with the Explosives and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit and military personnel, secured the site and conducted a controlled retrieval operation. Residents living nearby were temporarily evacuated as a precaution.

The 23 bombs were carefully removed and transported to a designated safe area, where they were subjected to further inspection. Authorities said the explosives will either be defused or disposed of through controlled detonation, depending on their condition.

Initial assessments suggest the bombs were likely remnants of aerial bombardments in Mindanao during World War II, when Davao and surrounding areas were heavily contested.

No injuries were reported during the operation.

City officials reiterated their appeal to the public, especially construction workers and residents in developing areas, to immediately report any suspicious objects.

The recovery of the bombs highlights how unexploded wartime ordnance continues to surface decades after World War II, particularly in parts of the Philippines that were once major battlegrounds.

Local disaster risk officials said they are coordinating with barangay leaders to increase awareness campaigns and ensure faster reporting should similar discoveries be made in the future.