It used to be just a dream moniker, an elusive tag, and a sweet name concealing some sort of social imbalance and inferiority.
Metro Davao was once such a dream name.
It was like a son one will never have just because another son is more favored.
Times have changed. Metro Davao is here and it’s for real.
Kudos to legislators and senators who supported the recent approval of the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA).
The MMDA law was authored by House Deputy Speaker and Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab of Davao City’s third legislative district.
As was envisioned, the creation of MDDA will pave the way for stronger coordination among Metro Davao’s component cities and municipalities in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of priority programs and projects. It puts the Davao LGUs under one umbrella and take development strides on cadence.
The law brings together to the MDDA the local governments of Davao City, Panabo City, Tagum City and Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte; Digos City in Davao del Sur; Mati City in Davao Oriental; and the municipalities of Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur, Carmen in Davao del Norte, Maco in Davao de Oro, and Malita in Davao Occidental.
The law also sets the following as areas of collaboration — urban development, sewerage and septage, solid waste management, public transport and traffic, and public safety and security.
That’s the essence of Metro Davao.
It’s not just a term that will make Davao ‘sosyal’ as people would jokingly refer to in the past. This will fuel stronger cooperation and lobbying force in the national government.