THE 8’s fell like rain, closely followed by the 7’s. The 8’s and the 7’s were actually high ratings given by Dabawenyos to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s performance during the first 100 days of the 32-year old who assumed office on July 1, 2010.
The positive ratings were in answer to an opinion survey conducted by Edge Davao, October 1-2 among city residents on what they think about the policies, statements actions made by the lady mayor—“Inday Sara” to many—during the first 100 days (actually 92 days when the survey was conducted).
The numbers
The question was: “On a scale of 1 to 10, the highest being 10, how do you rate the performance of Mayor Sara Duterte during her first 100 days in office?” The survey, conducted by text messages sent through mobile phone also encouraged respondents to comment on what they like, what they do not like about the mayor’s performance, and also what they want her to do during the rest of her three-year term covering a little over 1,000 days up to June 30, 2013.
The survey was confidential and a respondent’s identity not divulged.
Out of the 128 mobile phone owners who were asked the question, only 79 responded to the opinion poll. However, of these, 36, or 47 percent, rated Sara’s performance “8” or above (one rated her “9”), while 24 respondents, or 30 percent, gave her “7”. The remaining 19 respondents gave her “6” or “5.” Only one gave her a “4.”
The comments
As shown by the different comments “texted” in by the cellphone owners, the young city executive appeared to have impressed the survey respondents with her “tough” and “determined” stance on many public issues.
A retired business executive said he liked most “ the handling by the mayor of the Abreeza and uso-uso incidents,” referring to the accident at the Abreeza construction site and the uso-uso jeep-softdrink truck collision in Barangay Bago Aplaya which cost the lives of ten passengers and serious injuries to several others.
Other actions of Mayor Sara that impressed this particular survey participant was the defusing of the Paquibato “pangayaw” threat, her quick and positive reaction to the surge of dengue cases, assistance to fire victims, her firm stand to retain Lyka Lopez as her chosen city administrator in the wake of criticisms. The respondent said the mayor’s quick and hands-on reaction, and “being all over the place” created the impression that the mayor is “industrious.” He said that in the future, he wished the mayor would always be “pro-active” and “preemptive.”
What they like
A lady entrepreneur who rated Sara “9”, the highest rating given in the survey, said, “Her not being a politician makes her almost perfect. Give her free reign, she’ll make a perfect 10.”
An artist, who gave her “8”, said “she’s a hands-on mayor, a woman by heart, but is capable of making tough decisions. Takes a lot of guts to manage a city as big and diverse as Davao.”
Giving her a rating of “8”, another lady respondent credits Inday Sara for her “choice of young department heads like Robbie (Alabado), Jason (Magnaye), Bong (Aportadera) and Lyka (Lopez), her scholarship program and economic projects.”
“I approve of Inday’s less combat anti-insurgency policy and hard stance versus terrorism and criminality, her support of the tenement housing program, health and sanitation and solid waste management,” texted a veteran reporter covering the police and military beat.
A doctor of education had this to say: “I like all the actions, policies and statements made by Mayor Sara.”
Television anchor person: “I like her decision to pursue tenement housing instead of the calumbarium project; the creation of the Traffic Eagles squad, the dengue express lane inside city hall and the removal of “excess” personnel in the different departments.”
A poultry raiser and president of an association of scholars and travel grantees thinks that Sara was right in taking away the subsidy from a military unit, the installation of Robbie Alabado as city planning and development office (CPDO) coordinator and Lyka Lopez as administrators. He said it is also for the good of the public if Mayor Sara took positions “not always in accord with RRD” (referring to Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, Sara’s father.
A real estate broker said he appreciated Mayor Sara’s serious effort to promote Davao City to investors.
Another lady respondent said: “The young Duterte has shown political will.”
A prominent business leader, former president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., thinks that Mayor Sara is very determined and has very bright economic ideas and herself very receptive to grand plans. She’s always on time for appointments and a quick decision-maker.
A female executive of a banana company said she rated Sara “7” because “for me, she is fairing well as city mayor and has already made many decisions and calls that are not ‘trapo’.” She added: “I like it that she is very development-minded, progressive thinking, and I look forward to Davao growing by leaps and bounds under her mayorship.”
A veteran broadcaster who gave the mayor a high rating of 8, however, thinks that “she needs emphasis with facial expressions to drive her point. She’s very feminine, she needs a stage director. “To effect instant change, sometimes a leader must learn to employ the magic cuss words.”
A reporter at the city hall-city council beat listed the things that impressed her: Sara’s verbal orders on improving city government’s service, upland development, dengue assistance, strong mandate against drugs, criminality; prioritized traffic, garbage, and flooding; personally handling relative to new investments; no to coal power plant; protect watershed area, and creation of the traffic eagle squad.
A veteran city councilor lauded Sara for getting tough on traffic violators. “The statements that I like ..”I am ordering law enforcers to use the full force of the law to apprehend abusive, reckless drunken drivers and to remove illegal payong-payong tricycles off the streets.”
What they don’t like
While majority of the comments could warm the heart of the mayor, there were some statements that were critical of her.
A gentleman who generously gave her a high rating of “8” said the mayor should stop the killings, gangster-ism, illegal gambling, street flooding due to poor drainage system, and uncollected garbage.
The reporter who earlier praised her criticized her for her “lukewarm resistance to vigilante killings.”
A resident of GSIS Matina said Mayor Sara should give jobs to the guys who campaigned for her during the elections because they really worked and “are not 15-30 workers,” referring to those who only go to the city government to collect their pay every 15th and 30th of the month without really working.
A number of texters want the mayor to give back the jobs of displaced workers, continue her support for the police, give livelihood to the poor, and build a new building to replace the old, dilapidated city hall building.
A lady respondent said she did not like Sara’s position on the water code, which prioritizes watershed without energy using the Talomo-Panigan-Tamugan river system, her slow action on the garbage problem and her perceived conflict with Vice Mayor Rody.
“Although she is benevolent, her programs and focus are not well-directed.
Wish list
The respondents wish Mayor Sara to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR), give more livelihood to women, promote gulayan ng bayan in barangays, build a coastal road.
An old-timer in the city said landowners like him have high hopes that the political will that Mayor Sara has shown so far would be applied on several tracts of highly valuable lands inside the city that are squatted upon and cannot not be used for business activities because of the so-called informal settlers.
Citing the lands near the old Sta. Ana Pier, he said, the settlers have occupied the lots for decades and made the land practically worthless for their owners.
He said the helpless landowners are hoping the new mayor could start the development of Sta, Ana into a very productive area of investment after ownership and management of the pier is transferred from the Philippine Ports Authority.
Analysis
A close examination of the survey results suggests that Sara is more popular with the senior citizens who are men, and young as well as mature women respondents. [AMA]
