by Ram Maxey
THE year 2011 is gone. But not the memories. Some bitter, others sweet, and still others bittersweet. No need to repeat them here. As a Dabawenyo who was here when those memories happened , you ask yourself whether 2012 will be different from 2011.
Of course, it will be different in many ways, yet the same in some ways, too. The same problems because they don’t just go away in a year’s time. The poorest of the poor will be less poor , we hope, with the intercession of the local government. Through job creation, for one, as well as other interventions.
The global warming phenomenon is expected to cause continued weather tantrums in the form of unusually heavy rainfall which in turn swells rivers and other waterways thereby posing an ever constant threat of flashfloods in the same flood-prone areas of the city. Riverside communities remain at risk, given the Pinoy mentality of ignoring warnings of dire things to come unless dwellers relocate themselves out of harm’s way. For, how do you stop the rains from falling? Recall the recent tragedy in Northern Mindanao and even closer to home—in a small scale mining site in Pantukan Compostela Valley.
Our beloved city will, against all odds, continue to move on because of the indomitable spirit of the Dabawenyo under the the guidance of an enlightened leadership. Note Bloomberg’s assessment of “better things to come for the Philippine economy in 2012!” That holds the same for Davao City whose economy is booming which only the blind prophets of doom cannot see because they simply refuse to admit it. Our only real worry is what the future has in store for our city in terms of availability of power supply that will guarantee sustainability of its economic progress.
But as far as the year 2012 is concerned, who can deny that Davao City is in a position to continue to lead the way to progress for others to follow, especially in Mindanao? We have the land (broad and fertile as it is). We have an ideal climate. We have the right mix of people (Christian, Moro, Lumad). And, thank goodness , we have the right type of no-nonsense political leadership with an enviable track record in governance.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, it is said. Let’s have more of the same in 2012. And beyond. After all, Life is Here!
