Davao City’s big-ticket projects that are currently under development will continue even as Vice President-elect Sara Duterte steps down from the Mayoral seat. These include the P74-billion high priority bus system (HPBS) project and the planned P2.5-billion Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility.
In a press conference Monday at the Davao City Hall Building, Mayor Inday Sara Duterte said that she will push for the continuation and completion of the city’s big-ticket projects under the incoming Marcos administration. The vice president-elect revealed that she has taken preliminary measures to safeguard the continuation of these projects by issuing directives to Assistant City Administrator Atty. Tristan Dwight Domingo; project head of both the HPBS and WTE.
“Meron kaming meeting with the one in charge of the HPBS and WTE. I initially gave him instructions to make sure na from the Duterte administration nakikipag-usap na siya doon sa dalawang departments, DENR and DoTr, so that from those offices ma-endorse siya during the transition papunta sa President Marcos na administration. So yon pa lang ‘yong ginanagawa namin sa ngayon. But I will endeavor to push for the two projects in the administration of President Marcos (We had a meeting with the officer-in-charge of the HPBS and WTE. I initially gave him instructions to make sure that there is dialogue with the DENR and DoTr under the Duterte administration, so that the projects will be endorsed during the transition to the Marcos administration),” she said.
The HPBS project, which has secured funding from the Asian Development Bank, is currently in its contracts-bidding phase. The project aims to provide a cleaner and more convenient intercity transport system in Davao while curbing carbon emissions with the use of hybrid and electric buses.
Meanwhile, a lot in Biao Escuela in Tugbok District has been purchased for use as the WTE facility site. The WTE project was planned through the coordination of Davao City and its sister city Kitakyushu, Japan. This project is the city government’s response to the waste management problem as the city’s landfills are approaching full capacity.
On top of this, Mayor Sara Duterte also expressed hopes that the P19 billion Davao-Samal bridge will be realized in three to four years. She thanked President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s administration for initiating the project, which is funded by the People’s Republic of China.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa (We are grateful to the) Duterte administration dahil they really endeavored na masimulan na ‘yong (to start the) Davao City connector. And, hopefully, in the next three to four years, we’ll see that bridge will greatly benefit the Island Garden City of Samal and open Davao City as well sa mag interested na pumasyal dito sa areas namin (those interested to visit here in our areas) because it will make it very convenient for them na merong bridge diyan,” the vice president-elect added.
These sentiments were shared by incoming Mayor Sebastian Duterte who said—in an earlier interview with the City Information Office on June 16, 2022—that big-ticket projects like the HPBS and WTE will remain high on the City Government of Davao’s priority list under his administration.
“Gusto gyud nako i-prioritize kay kadtong mga big-ticket projects na nasugdan under Mayor Sara Duterte, parehas anang HPBS and WTE, mga ingana (I really want to prioritize those big-ticket projects started under Mayor Sara Duterte, just like the HPBS and WTE, those kinds of projects),” said the incoming Mayor. CIO
