The City Government of Davao spent a total of P8.2 billion, sourced from the Annual Development Fund, for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects from 2016 to 2021.
Over 3,000 infrastructure projects were completed since 2016 in Davao City, which was named the eighth richest city in the country in 2020 with total assets amounting to P23 billion, according to the 2020 Annual Financial Report released by the Commission on Audit (COA) on December 22, 2021.
Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, during her Valedictory and State of the City Address (SOCA) livestreamed on the City Government of Davao Facebook page on Thursday, March 17, 2022, said they did not think twice about spending for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.
The completed infrastructure projects included 1,424 roads, 51 bridges, 180 school buildings, 63 office buildings, 44 barangay halls, 84 health centers, nine police stations, 748 irrigation and canal projects, 172 water systems, 11 electrification projects, and 669 other structures.
She said Davao City, touted as the biggest city in the Philippines in terms of land area with a sprawling 2,443 square
kilometers, nearly four times bigger than the total land area of the entire NCR, has always faced its challenges head-on.
The City Government of Davao, she said, beefed up its collection efforts and not relying on its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to provide Dabawenyos with the programs and services they need.
This was the reason Davao City is recognized as among the top-performing local government units by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) of the Department of Finance each year since 2017.
The city earned a total combined revenue of P10,434,193,222.19 – 39.8% higher than its revenues in 2021 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. About P4,420,991,524.63 of this amount was generated from local sources.
The mayor also said that Davao City will be debt-free by the end of the first half of the year as it has already allocated
P46,706,000 in the 2022 budget to cover the remaining loan balance. The City Government contracted loans to finance major projects for the city’s development and while doing so, it has also been allocating a budget every year to pay back the loans.
“Over the past five years, our task has been inspired and guided by the dreams, aspirations, sacrifices, and values that we all share together as sons and daughters of Davao City,” Mayor Duterte said.
MILESTONES
The City Government of Davao partnered with the Davao Light and Power Company for the ongoing conversion of the streetlights in the city from sodium to the more energy-efficient LED lights and in implementing the Davao City Underground Cabling Project.
“Today, a number of major streets are now illuminated with LED streetlights, and the skyline of the vicinity of City Hall, as well as the entire stretch of CM Recto Street from corner San Pedro to corner Magsaysay Avenue, are free from the messy tangle of wires and cables, with more areas to follow in the coming months,” Mayor Duterte said.
Under her term, the Lingap Para sa Mahirap Program that helps Dabawenyos with their hospital bills has been expanded. The city also pioneered the one-stop-shop medical assistance concept in 2017, bringing together under one roof Lingap and other government agencies providing medical assistance services, for the convenience of Dabawenyos. This is the Pagkalinga sa Bayan now being replicated as Malasakit Centers all over the country.
Lingap satellite offices were also opened outside the city center to cater to more Dabawenyos as they can avail of assistance at the SPMC Compound and the satellite offices in Paquibato and Bunawan in the Second District and Marilog and Toril in the Third District.
Lingap assistance is also accessible online as Dabawenyos can now submit their requirements using their computers or mobile phones, from where they will also receive electronic confirmation of the assistance.
The homeless mentally challenged individuals were also taken care of at the height of the pandemic as the city temporarily set up the Mental Wellness Center at the Pasalubong Center to shelter them and to address the stigma surrounding mental health.
The City Government of Davao also opened the Mental Wellness Center for the Homeless facility inside the Southern Philippines Medical Center – Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine compound early this year where food, clothing, shelter, and medical services are provided to mentally-challenged vagrants.
During the pandemic, the city also built key facilities such as COVID-19 Cluster Clinics, the Los Amigos Molecular Laboratory, and the Davao City Crematorium at the Wireless Cemetery, which has since provided free cremation services to nearly 300 cadavers.
The construction of the Tagakpan cemetery is also ongoing with designated areas for Muslims and Christians.
The city has also partnered with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources and secured P740 million of the needed P3.5 billion to supplement the available Japanese grant for the state-of-the-art waste-to-energy facility. Mayor Duterte said they are working closely with other national government agencies to secure the entire funding amount.
For the High Priority Bus System project, she said loan processing is ongoing and they are working with the Department of Transportation. The city started receiving bids for civil works contracts for the construction of the terminals and depots. Bidding for other project components will proceed in the following months, including the 1,000 units for the bus fleet that includes at least 300 electric 18-meter buses.
The mayor also said the City Government of Davao signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Bureau of Plant Industry for the
use of its property in Bago Oshiro as the site of the City College of Davao while P250,000,000 was allocated from the 2022 Annual Development Fund for the land development of the Davao City Public Hospital that will be built within the University of the Philippines Mindanao grounds in Mintal where the Davao City-UP Sports Complex is also located.
Meanwhile, the Marilog District Hospital received its license to operate from the Department of Health in February 2021 and is currently undergoing accreditation as a Level 2 Hospital. The City Government-run infirmary has a 10-bed capacity, 14 medical services, and 73 medical and non-medical staff.
The city is also building a three-story Agdao Farmers’ Market, which will feature the organic produce of Dabawenyo farmers and fish and meat vendors, dry goods, and commercial spaces. The first phase of the market has been completed.
Six park projects and three children’s playgrounds were also completed while construction is also ongoing at the Los Amigos Park and the Doña Vicenta Park, where a Museo Dabawenyo political and cultural museum will soon rise.
The city also clustered tourism and investment buildings and facilities in the downtown area with the Davao City Tourism and Davao City Investment Promotion building at Palma Gil Street near the People’s Park. The National Museum building is located inside People’s Park and the Davao City Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) building will also be constructed within the compound. The latter will have several meeting rooms, an auditorium and a theater, and an events center. These facilities are all within walking distance from the new Davao City Library and Information building along Ponciano Reyes Street. CIO
