MAYOR Sebastian Duterte in his third State of the City Address hits the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) anew for excavating roads without coordination and unfinished projects.
The mayor proposed that the city will instead provide the agency with a list of projects they can do instead of repeatedly destroying roads still in good condition.
He added the list will be identified at the barangay level as they are more aware of their needs in the community.
“Mga kapitan, tutal kamo kay locals, kamo nakahibalo unsay gusto sa mga tawo kay definitely wa gyud koy nadunggan nga nalipay nga sigeg pamungkag ninyo nya sementohon balik,” he stressed.
Too early to tell
On peace and order matters, Mayor Sebastian Duterte stressed it’s “too early to tell” regarding the shake-up within the Davao City Police Office as every move is likely influenced by politics.
In his 2nd SOCA earlier, he went into a tirade on how the national administration has been interfering with local affairs, referring to the change of the DCPO chief within less than 24 hours.
However, he is giving the newly installed DCPO chief Colonel Hansel Marantan a chance to prove himself.
“Basta buhaton ang trabaho, ma-maintain ang status quo, which all of us ganahan, satisfied man ta sa current status sa peace and order situation nato, kung ma-maintain lang wa tay problema ana,” he said.
Modernized transport: ‘blurry’
Compared to his 1st SOCA last year where he lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his support of the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, Mayor Sebastian Duterte now doubts the national administration will earmark funds to realize it.
“Medyo menos ang nation-building karon particularly atoa in relation to the administration, so I doubt nga butangan na nila og kwarta. I do not want to be pessimistic but I have to be realistic,” the mayor stressed.
Given the context, he said the city will have to wait for the national administration’s next moves as the city cannot afford to fund the project.
Last July 2023, the president witnessed the signing of a loan agreement between the Department of Finance and the Asian Development Bank, however, he failed to mention any big-ticket projects for Davao in his latest State of the Nation Address.
Photo: Bing Gonzales
