Davao City councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz is pushing for a resolution requesting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to create a Technical Working Group (TWG) dedicated to projects being assisted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Ortiz, chair of the Committee on Finance, Ways, and Means, and Appropriations of the City Council, said on Thursday that with the creation of TWG, implementation of JICA-assisted projects in Davao City will be easier.
Ortiz shared over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) that officials of JICA expressed their concern about identifying a contact person in Davao City during their visit to Japan on April 25, 2023.
“JICA brought up to our group maglisod daw sila ug kontak kinsa ang ilahang contact person diri sa Davao considering diri sa JICA-asissted projects. We came up with a solution na maghimo ug TWG ang atoang executive department ni Mayor Baste. Adunay TWG ang stakeholders such as from DPWH, housing, kay kaning mga projects aduna pud tay social responsibility like ang mga maigo nga katawhan sa bypass mao na mas maayo nga adunay representation per stakeholder,” she said.
The TWG will be dedicated only to JICA-funded projects.
“Para kung naa sila’y gusto klaruhon, naa silay gusto ikontak diri sa Davao, matawagan lang kung kaninong department or stakeholder concern ang istoryahon sa JICA. Ug para dili malangan ang implementation sa mga projects ug uban pang umaabot na mga projects,” Ortiz added.
Among the projects funded by JICA for Davao City include the construction of the building at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and ongoing projects such as the Davao City Bypass Road and the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road.
Meanwhile, Japanese businessmen Jun Shimaoka and Keito Ochi expressed their interest to establish a bridging school in Davao City during their privileged speech at the city council last Tuesday.
Ortiz explained that the school will prioritize Japanese descendants in Davao City.
“They are very eager to do business here in Davao and still find business opportunities here in our city. Sa ilahang visit ilahang na identify is one katong bridging school wherein katong ipang hire nila nga nurses. They need nurses sa Japan just like in the US and other countries. Naa silay bridging school diri na i-establish so after maka-graduate sa bridging school mu-qualify na sila na dalahon katong mga would be employees didto sa Japan,” she said.
Ortiz said these are just among the gains of the sisterhood agreement between Davao City and Sennan City, which was signed by Duterte and Sennan City Mayor Yamamoto Yuma in Sennan City, Osaka, Japan on April 25, 2023.
“Hopefully, in the near future naay result ang ties ng Davao City and Sennan City in the field of investment and business. Kana nga mga opportunities na ginapangita, although, I observed na ang Sennan City is more on agricultural. Hope maka partner ta sa ilang businessmen didto,” Ortiz said.
In an earlier interview, Councilor Bernie Al-ag, who was among the delegation to Japan, bared that the city government of Davao is exploring with All Nippon Airways (ANA) a planned establishment of Osaka-Davao direct flight from Kansai International Airport.
