Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte told the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to prioritise urgent road maintenance and leave roads that are still in good condition. He also asked the agency to choose from the list of priority infrastructure projects of the city government of Davao.
“The city government has a list of priority infrastructure projects. Didto mo pili, kay mao ni ang mga kinahanglan sa siyudad. Ayaw mo pag mugna mugna og project para lang naa moy trabaho-on, unya dili ha-um sa panginahanglan sa mga Dabawenyo,” the mayor said in his State of the City Address (SOCA) on Tuesday.
The mayor said the city government is working hard to ensure that Dabawenyos can go to work daily comfortably despite the ongoing development around the city.
He also said that the city is putting its best effort to minimize inconvenience among Dabawenyos.
“However, DPWH seems to have a different goal in mind. Instead of repairing, they keep breaking roads that are clearly in good condition, without regard for the safety and convenience of the public. The city government stands firm in our statement that DPWH must stop breaking roads in good condition here in the city. This shameless practice that has been going on for so long is wasting people’s money. This does not promote the interest of the Dabawenyos,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, the mayor reported the city’s accomplishments in terms of infrastructure developments.
Duterte said given the continued migration of people to the city, last year the city sought the support of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) for the conversion of the City Housing and Homesite Division of the CPDO into a separate full-fledged department.
“We thank the City Council for its approval, as our Davao City Housing Office has finally commenced its operations. This office will focus on addressing the housing backlog by providing affordable, safe, and sustainable housing for the underprivileged, the homeless, and persons living in hazard-prone areas,” he said.
He reported that currently, the city has existing 19 city-owned relocation sites, 62 settlement sites under the Urban Land Reform Program (ULRP), and six settlement sites under the Slum Improvement and Resettlement (SIR) Program. In addition, two proposed relocation sites are currently under the process of land documentation.
The mayor added that in response to the increasing population and housing needs of the city, the city is also shifting towards vertical housing solutions to better utilize the land resources and cater to more beneficiaries.
In terms of infrastructures, from July 2023 to April 2024, the mayor reported that the city completed 441 infrastructure projects including 169 buildings, 168 roads, highways and bridges, 88 drainage systems, and three electrification projects across the city.
Moreover, he said a total of 13 water systems were constructed to provide water supply to communities especially those living in Geographically Isolated and Advantage Areas (GIDA).
He announced that in August of last year, the city opened the New Doña Vicenta Park in Barangay 9-A, to the public. The park spans 1.2 hectares and is the 26th public park in the city for the enjoyment of the Dabawenyos.
“We have physically completed 3 other parks (Roxas Greenway Park, Toril Park, Clifford Park), and we also intend to put up more parks along the vicinity of the Coastal Road. Plans for the rehabilitation of People’s Park are also underway,” he said.
The mayor also mentioned the ongoing construction of the 45-kilometer P46.8-billion Davao City Bypass Project that will connect Sirawan in Toril to Barangay JP Laurel in Panabo wherein Package I-1 of 6, connecting Tugbok to Cabantian, is expected to be completed by December this year.
“It is envisioned to reduce travel time between said points from nearly 1.5 hours to less than an hour, the project will improve transport logistics and mitigate traffic congestion at various points in the city,” he said.
The mayor also announced that the construction of the Davao River (Bucana) Bridge is ongoing, with the DPWH targeting completion by the end of 2025.
