IF one goes to Tacunan through Catalunan Grande road passing by Frist district Congressman Polong Duterte’s residence or through the road leading to Elenita Heights he/she will notice that the roads are already fully lighted with solar street lights with its own steel pole.
We are certain this must be a project of the first district congressman which he showcases in his own barangay. But what we are not sure about is whether or not the solar lighting of other streets in the first district is pursued by the congressman. If it is, then the city government will most likely be able to save a substantial amount from its monthly electric bills the bulk of which are from the charges it receives for street lights despite the city’s having changed the majority of the bulbs with light emitting diodes or LED which consume less power.
For now though, we haven’t seen any other roads within the jurisdiction of Congressman Duterte to have been lighted with solar bulbs. Perhaps, in due time the project might spread in other areas and it will surely be a huge relief to the city’s budgetary requirement for street lights alone.
Well, Congressman Polong’s solar lighting program will positively impact a lot not only to the city’s treasury but to the maintenance of Davao as one low crime metropolis since criminals normally do their thing in dark alleys and sections of the city.
We are hoping that similar programs are also being implemented by the congressmen of the two other districts of the city. May be the representatives of the second and third districts are willing to help in the efforts of the local government to reduce its expenditures on power bills.
Of course the solar street lighting program is definitely a gain for the people of the city and a loss for the power distribution company.
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We have no idea so far with the status of the project funded by the Japan International Cooperation (JICA) which is intended to put up some kind of a catch basin for flood waters coming from the upland flowing down the city proper through the Davao River.
We are referring to that project where some kind of a flood water impounding facility is to be set up somewhere in Sitios Luman and Battalion in New Valencia and New Carmen, respectively, that will allow the bulk of the water to be temporarily diverted and stored during flood incidents thereby minimizing the volume of water flowing into Davao River when strong and continuous rains occur in the uplands of the city.
The last time we heard about it was when surveys were conducted by people from the City Planning and Development Office to check into the communities where the proposed flood mitigating project is to be built; the number of families that will possibly be relocated, private lands that will have to be acquired to ensure that the project will not be encroaching into other’s rights, and of course, the project’s full acceptability in the affected areas.
Other than sitios Luman and Battalion, Barangay Waan will also be part of the project area. And if what we heard was right, it is in the latter barangay that opposition to the project would likely be met quite strongly.
However, we believe that the said project is one that will put an end to the apprehension of downtown residents that sooner the flood will not only be inundating certain particular areas in the city proper but may be the entire central business district (CBD) as well.
We are looking forward to Mayor Baste Duterte’s giving focus in following up the implementation of the herein-stated project of the city.
Floods are nature’s most unpredictable way of exacting revenge against people who ravage it indiscriminately.
