Davao City tops in peace and economic growth

BUSES to replace rolling coffins salvaged and smuggled to Davao and underground cabling in city thoroughfares plus 14 insurgency free barangays in what used to be a CPP/NPA bastion -Paquibato District - are among the highlights in brief but the only-real-data-filled state of the city address of City Mayor Inday Sara-Duterte Carpio.

 

Capital investments registered grew annually in the city, at the close of the fiscal year in 2018, we see ₱279-billions poured into this southern gateway of the country. and growing unprecedented revenue income translated to more city roads, school buildings, employments and salary increases which include even job-order workers. Health and medical services via Lingap and Malasakit Centers continue to extend assistance to ndigent patients.

 

Quoting Mayor Inday Sara verbatim; “In effect, more local taxes are collected, and the city is on its way to surpass the internal revenue allotment as the main fund source to finance projects. The goal is to limit our dependency on the internal revenue allotment or IRA so that we can finance more programs that are not among those restricted for IRA use. Furthermore, debt servicing is nearing completion, which will basically make the city debt-free in 2022.

 

“For 2018, we have again surpassed our revenue collections continuing the upward trend since 2016. In 2016, the total collection was 6.3 Billion Pesos, and in 2017, it rose to 7.2 Billion Pesos. In 2018, we collected 8.5 Billion Pesos; and by June 2019, we already saw an 11% increase with 5.5 Billion Pesos compared to 4.9 Billion Pesos of the same period last year.

 

“This recorded increase in the total collection of taxes, fees, and other charges for CY 2018- 2019, compared to the collection obtained in the previous years was due to the implementation of Ordinance No. 0291-17, series of 2017, otherwise known as the 2017 Revenue Code last year. Additionally, there was also a decrease in the “Fines and Penalties on Local Taxes for 2019” that positively translated to the taxpayers’ compliance with their obligations to the City Government.

 

“The increasing economic activity year-on-year translates to more employment opportunities and increased purchasing power of the Dabawenyos. Furthermore, the healthy fiscal condition of the Davao, along with the constant support of the private sector, paved the way for the funding various programs and projects.

 

As in the past years, Davao City’s economy continues to show a steady rise as evidenced by the increased number of registered businesses and capitalization”.

 

Health, education, tourism, infrastructures and sports activities have shown a vibrant growth. We Davawenyos cannot ask for more. Some significant developments in the area of infrastructures may not be on the lists as these are ongoing projects of the national government. Among these are various bypass roads to decongest existing highways and city roads from deliver trucks and refrigerated vans towards the ports and other destinations in the south and north of the the city proper. Construction of a new coastal road is underway adding to the easement of the city traffic.

 

Mayor Inday is hoping too that the Davao-Samal island bridge will come to a fruition and called on NEDA to fasttrack the project feasibility. I really do not know what’s delaying the decision process.

 

Inday wants martial lifted in Davao. There is a reason for this. The city is home to Christians, Muslims and a number of indigenous tribes each with different culture and religious faiths. But unique to Davao City, each of these have their important roles in the city government. They have representatives in the City Council and as deputy mayors too. Peace is important to everybody and despite the diversities each are committed to preserve this. Crime index too is among the lowest in the country, thus Davao City remains as one of the most peaceful and livable place in Asia.