EXECUTIVE-LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

FOR
CALENDAR YEAR 2019-2022

Page 1 of 27
Table of Contents

1) Message of the Mayor

2) Message of the Vice Mayor
3) SP Resolution Approving and Adopting the ELA
4) Executive Summary
5) A Brief Profile of Davao City
6) Vision-Mission Statement
7) Byaheng DU30
8) Identified Sectoral Issues
9) EXECUTIVE-LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
(Table Form)
10) The Executive Department
11) The 19th City Council
12) The Secretariat of the Executive-Legislative Agenda Workshop
13) Highlights of the Executive-Legislative Agenda Workshop
14) Bibliography

Page 2 of 27
A Message from Mayor Sara Z. Duterte

Madayaw!

This Executive-Legislative Agenda for Davao City 2019-2022 is the result of

the meeting of the minds of the officials from the executive and legislative
departments of the City Government of Davao to plan out the direction Davao City
will be taking in the next three years.

This Agenda was crafted in recognition of the importance of ensuring that the
programs and policies conceptualized and implemented by the executive department
are aligned with the policies to be enacted by the legislative department and vice-
versa. In this manner, common development thrusts are transformed into viable and
well-planned programs and projects for Dabawenyos. These mutually-agreed upon
development thrusts and priorities will serve as our city’s roadmap for the next three
years.

Guided by this Agenda, we in the City Government, with the support of the
Dabawenyos, strive to further the gains the city has achieved over the last three
years, improve the quality of life of every Dabawenyo, and create a better Davao
City by year 2022 – a 100% insurgency-free city with an even more robust economy
and a healthier environment.

Daghang salamat.

SARA Z. DUTERTE
City Mayor

Page 3 of 27
A Message from Vice Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte

To our partners from the Executive Department and to my fellow workers in

the 19th City Council, I would like to thank you all for the support and input you
have shared in crafting the Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA) for Calendar Year
2019-2022.

This will serve as our guide to ensure that we move towards the right
direction in the next three years. It is important that we all have the same
understanding and plan of action on what we want to accomplish.

May we continue to be driven by our common goal of delivering what is best

for the City of Davao and for our fellow Davaoeños.

Let us continue to collaborate and align our vision as we move forward.

Daghang salamat.

SEBASTIAN Z. DUTERTE
City Vice Mayor

Page 4 of 27
Resolution No. ________
Series of 2019

ADOPTING THE EXECUTIVE-LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

WHEREAS, on July 11, 2019, Mayor Sara Z. Duterte, Vice Mayor Sebastian Z.
Duterte, the members of the 19 th Sangguniang Panlungsod, the Department Heads,
as well as the City Director of the Department of Interior and Local Government,
assembled at the Lumpini Room, DusitD2 Thani, Lanang, Davao City for the
Executive–Legislative Agenda Seminar/Workshop;

WHEREAS, the Executive-Legislative Agenda is a term-based planning document

that is developed and mutually agreed upon by the Executive and Legislative
Departments of the Local Government Unit (LGU). It is essentially the blueprint of
the local government in identifying its goals, vision, mission, priority problems and
their proposed interventions;

WHEREAS, representatives from both the executive departments and the legislative
branch have chosen the priority programs, projects and activities that the City
Government of Davao will execute within the next three (3) years;

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved as it is hereby resolved, to approve and adopt

the Executive-Legislative Agenda for Calendar Year 2019 to 2022;

RESOLVED FURTHER, that copies of the Resolution be furnished the Office of the
City Mayor through the City Administrator’s Office, the Office of the Vice Mayor, the
Department of Interior and Local Government and all other concerned
offices/departments for their information, guidance and appropriate action;

ADOPTED, ____________________________, by a unanimous vote of the

Members of the Sanggunian present, there being a quorum.

Page 5 of 27
Executive Summary of the Executive–Legislative Agenda

After the newly-elected public officers of Davao City settled down, the City
Government of Davao, through its officers from both the legislative and executive
departments, endeavored to convene and come up with the Executive-Legislative
Agenda (ELA) for July 2019 to June 30, 2022. The said activity was done at the
Lumpini Room, DusitD2 Thani, Lanang, Davao City on July 11, 2019.

The ELA is a term-based planning document that is developed and mutually

agreed upon by the Executive and Legislative Departments of the Local Government
Unit (LGU). It is essentially the roadmap of the local government in identifying its
goals, vision, mission, priority problems and their proposed interventions. It
contains the programs, projects and activities that the LGU wants to accomplish
within that particular term. The said programs, projects and activities are culled
from the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP). Thus, they must be consistent
with the CDP. The outcome of the ELA then encapsulates the Vision and Mission of
the LGU wherein the officers of the executive and legislative departments may look
upon for guidance during the three (3) year term.

For the ELA Seminar/Workshop, the officers of the City Government were
grouped into five clusters, namely: Development Management or Public
Administration, Economic Development, Fiscal Management, Infrastructure and
Social Services. Each cluster had a team leader who facilitated the discussions. The
challenges that each sector faced were identified and the officers themselves
decided upon the course of action to take from 2019 to 2022 always having in mind
the thrusts and goals of the City as stated in the CDP.

Vice Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte opened the program of the day and
welcomed the participants. Mayor Sara Z. Duterte thereafter expressed her
confidence that the workshop will be successful and that the City Government would
soon have a comprehensive and cohesive ELA.

At the onset, Ms. Vicky Sarcena, the City Director of the Department of
Interior and Local Government, thoroughly reacquainted the participants with ELA
and emphasized on the purpose of the workshop including the importance of
creating the document.

Mr. Ivan Cortez, the City Planning Officer, skillfully presented the CDP and
coherently presented the current status of Davao City concerning its different
aspects such as demography, effects of climate change and economy.

The City Administrator Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez stressed that the suggested
projects and programs must be perceivable for a long time, time-bound and
documented. She likewise pointed out the importance of a partnership between the
Executive and the Legislative Departments to have exemplary local governance.

Councilor J. Melchor B. Quitain Jr. conveyed that he appreciated the workshop

because it was a venue to learn about the thoughts and plans of his fellow public

Page 6 of 27
servants thereby making the next actions of both the local executive and legislative
departments congruent with each other.

The outcome of the ELA for Calendar Years 2019-2022 was thoroughly
examined and studied by the esteemed public officers of Davao City and it shall
serve as the guide of the City Government for the next three (3) years.

Page 7 of 27
A Brief Profile of Davao City

World-renowned for its abundance of fruits, most especially Durian and

Mangosteen as well as for being the home of the great Philippine eagle, the
beautiful Waling-waling flower and the majestic Mt. Apo, the highest peak in the
country, Davao City is a highly urbanized city located in the southeastern part of
Mindanao. It has an area of 244,000 hectares which comprises eight percent (8%)
of the land size of Davao Region; thus, making Davao City the largest city in the
Philippines in terms of area. The City is bounded in the north of Davao Province; in
the east partly of Davao Province and Davao Gulf; in the south of Davao del Sur;
and in the west of North Cotabato. Davao City Proper is 946 aerial kilometers or 588
statute miles, southeast of Manila.

Davao City is composed of one hundred eighty-two (182) barangays which

are divided into three (3) Congressional Districts. The City is further divided into 11
administrative districts, where Poblacion and Talomo Districts comprise the First
District; Agdao, Buhangin, Bunawan and Paquibato cover the Second District; and
Toril, Tugbok, Calinan, Baguio and Marilog encompass the Third District.

As of the 2015 census, the city had a population of 1,632,991 with a

population growth rate of 2.30%. The First District was the most populous among
the Congressional Districts with 592,736 inhabitants, the Second District had
592,250 inhabitants while the Third District had 448,005 inhabitants.

A substantial part of Davao City is mountainous, characterized by extensive

mountain ranges with uneven distribution of plateaus and lowlands. The mountain
range, which delimits the western boundary of the City, extends to as far as North
Cotabato. The large, contiguous lowland areas of Davao City, are coastal plains and
valleys extending inland as gently-rising valleys. These areas are found in Paquibato
District, located in the eastern part of the City, which is an extension of the vast
lowlands at the head of Davao Gulf. The other substantial lowland areas are located
in the southeastern part of the City along the western coast of the Gulf, and are
situated in the districts of Bunawan, Buhangin, Agdao, Poblacion,Talomo, and Toril.
The Davao River, with its numerous tributaries, is the main drainage system of the
City. It originates from Bukidnon Province, flows towards the south, meanders along
the central part and finally flows eastward emptying into the Gulf at the southern
periphery of the City Proper. The secondary drainage system of the City is the
Talomo River, which is the drainage outlet of the eastern slopes of Mt. Apo. Other
major drainage systems include the Lipadas River, Matina River, Lasang River and
Sibulan River (CLUP 2013-2022).

By virtue of the approval of Commonwealth Act No. 51 on October 16, 1936,

Davao City became a chartered city and was subsequently inaugurated on March 1,
1937. Subsequently, on February 23, 1994, through the enactment of Republic Act
No. 7685, March 16 was declared as Araw ng Dabaw, one of the most prestigious
events of Davao City. During the celebration, Davaoeños go out of their way to
participate and witness the different events such as the Mutya ng Dabaw and the

Page 8 of 27
Datu Bago Awards Presentation. The other major event of the City is the
Kadayawan Festival which, at present, is a month-long celebration every August. It
is a festivity to celebrate the blessings that the city and its people received such as
bountiful fruits and flowers. The highlights of the festival include the Hiyas sa
Kadayawan Coronation, Indak Indak sa Kadayawan and the Pamulak sa Kadayawan.

Page 9 of 27
VISION MISSION STATEMENT

VISION STATEMENT

We envision Davao City as a globally livable City and a center of excellence in

governance, investment, tourism, climate change adaptation, disaster resiliency, and
sustainable growth driven by empowered citizenry.

MISSION

 Ensure effective and efficient delivery of services through responsive

leadership and competent human resources.
 Sustain the gains by ensuring that the people of Davao are empowered,
protected and secure, and gender and culturally sensitive to attain the best
quality of life.
 Continue to engage participative citizenry in resource-based, market-driven
economic activities within the context of balanced ecology, and equity-led
development.
 Develop a progressive and future-proof network of infrastructure, utilities,
and support services.
 Maintain a disaster-resilient, climate change-adaptive, and ecologically
balanced environment through ridge-to-reef approach, proper solid waste
management, preservation of natural environment, promotion of renewable
energy, and adoption of low carbon and eco-friendly technologies.

CORE VALUES

 Leadership
 Good Governance and Service Excellence
 Resiliency and Unity
 Integrity

Page 10 of 27
BYAHENG DU30: 10-POINT AGENDA

The development goals, objectives and strategies of Davao City are embodied
in the BYAHENG DU30: 10-POINT AGENDA. Under this program, ten (10)
priority areas have been identified from which thirty (30) major projects will be
carried out.

1. Poverty Alleviation

Under this key priority area, the following strategies shall be pursued:

 Programs/projects shall be pursued using multi-pronged strategies

 Intensify programs for the social protection of vulnerable sectors
 Emphasis on Access to Opportunities
 Strengthen Responsible Parenthood/Family Planning Programs

Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS). Conduct of Household

Census with geo-tagging such that profile of specific needs are mapped-out
geographically and interventions and assistance are downloaded/provided to the
rightful beneficiaries in their exact locations.

Sustainable Reforestation Program for Upland Tribes. For the five (5)
upland tribes of Matigsalong, Bagobo-Tagabawa, Ata, Obo-Manobo, Bagobo-Klata at
Five Million Pesos (Php 5,000,000.00) each. A hybrid reforestation program what
will use fruit bearing trees to be taken care of by the tribes. Other livelihood
activities will be introduced while waiting for the trees to produce fruits in
commercial quantity.

Mag-Negosyo Ta Day Program. This will be a small business/livelihood

program among urban poor women where access to livelihood funds will depend on
the success of the beneficiaries. Aimed at eradicating crab mentality and requiring
support system in a group dynamic setup among similarly situated individuals (in a
group of five (5), non-similar business plans shall be hatched by the members based
on their business inclinations, the 1 st beneficiary shall have a six (6) month
successful commissioning before the 2nd shall receive the loan and so on and so
forth.) Another version of this program can be implemented to cater to the wives of
garbage collectors.

Acquisition of New Relocation Sites. This will also address DRRM

concerns by targeting those living under the bridge and those in the riverside. The
present inventory of relocation sites of the city can accommodate around 250
housing units only. There is now a pressing need to find additional sites for
relocation. Under the new policy, the maximum number of lots per hectare is one
hundred (100). There is a need for fifty (50) hectares if the city is to host five
thousand (5,000) units from SMC.

Page 11 of 27
Mobile Quick Relief and Hot Meal/Soup. A Trailer van with built-in
Kitchen cooking facilities and transformable side for serving, to answer the need of
serving soup or hot meal in areas affected by disasters or calamities. This will also
have a DRRM component.

Standardization of Residential Care Facilities. The city has nine

residential care facilities for children, women, older persons and youth. This will be
in compliance to standards set by monitoring agencies.

2. Infrastucture Development

In terms of infrastructure development, road network improvements linking

communities and sectors to goods, services and opportunities, access to water,
power and communication services (especially in far-flung rural areas) were given
priority. Likewise, an integrated Transport System and the physical and spatial built-
up system were considered as requisites in building the entire city, i.e., the
Accessibility Law Compliance and Sidewalk for Pedestrians Program.

3. Solid Waste Management

In order to manage solid waste properly, there is a need to collectively act

and assume responsibilities to attain a sound ecological solid waste management.
In order to strengthen our systems, the implementation of a more efficient Waste
Segregation-Collection System and the establishment of Recycling Facilities in every
barangay were identified to sustain local environment quality, promote waste
reduction, recycling and re-using, upgrade our equipment through the acquisition of
2 Sanitary Landfill Sites (South & North East), the Materials Recovery Facility,
procurement of equipment for Sanitary Landfill as well as procurement of Garbage
Trucks to properly address this concern.

4. Health

Among the identified strategies relative to Health was to focus on the

prevention of disease outbreaks, programs and projects via the Life-Cycle Approach,
promotion of a Healthy Lifestyle and the holistic approach in proper sanitation,
including expanding a healthy and green environment.

Specific programs and projects identified requiring legislation are: the

Mosquito-Free Davao Program, wherein barangays will be mobilized in preventing
mosquitoes to breed as well as intensive no let-up installation of traps toward
eradication. This will include the application of larvicide in open ponds and canals.

Clean Air Davao Program. Smoke belching vehicles will be impounded to

a government-owned emission testing center. A recommendayion for repair,
conditioning or overhauling, whichever is appropriate, will be given. Another testing
will be done to check if the vehicle gets cleared in the 2 nd emission testing. It is
recommended that erring Emission-testing Centers be heavily-penalized for result-
falsification.

Page 12 of 27
5. Education

One of the key considerations taken into account was on programs that aim
to empowerstudents to be involved in nation-building, address the problem on Drop-
outs though tracking and monitoring systems and the regular and constant
monitoring and assessment of the health and nutrition of school children. Likewise,
to intensify alternative pathways for learning and accreditation was identified.

Programs and projects needing legislation, viz:

1. STEP/EBSU/Scholarship grant – Provide continuing education

scholarship to economically disadvantaged but with good academic record
students;
2. Alternative Learning System (ALS) Center – An ALS Center shall be
established to provide equivalency option to underprivileged sectors of the
society. This should be tied up with the Comprehensive Poverty
Alleviation Program with the aim of certifying level of skills of household
members leading toward gaining employment.

6. Agriculture

To address agriculture concerns, programs on Organic Farming and other

Good Agricultural Practices will be strengthened, adoption of technology for better
yields and returns, improvement of the physical Market Infrastructure as well as
access to farmers to high yield and high-resistant seedlings and crop varieties.

The Agri-Development Master Plan will be devised to contain strategies in

maximizing yields, updating of the database of farmlands and farmers as well as
sustainable farming methods. On the other hand, the Small Water Impounding
System (SWIP) will ensure water availability in anticipation of prolong dry/drought
periods.

The Davao Urban Container Garden Center will hit two birds with one stone.
First, it will produce food while at the same time provide the needed greenery to
cool the urban concrete jungle. The Urban island heat effect causes rainclouds to
disperse away from the city and encourages dwellers to use electricity more due to
humidity.

With this initiative, urban dwellers can become their own farmers and
contribute to food security. The initiative is suggested to start with the
implementation of the Urban Container garden at the 5 th level of the City Hall Annex.

Davao City as Chocolate Capital. Davao City is home to the award-

winning Malagos Chocolate brand. The agri-biz shall catapult the cacao sector (the
region being the biggest producers of cacao) into the more lucrative chocolate
industry. Wi8th proper and consistent coordination, the trajectory towards claiming
a bigger portion of the 12B local chocolate economy (90% imported) is a natural
objective.

Page 13 of 27
7. Tourism

The provision of linkages to tourism sites/activities, improvement of the

tourism network (both physical and organizational), improvement of the transport
system as well as the establishment of Information Centers and Signage/s in
international languages were identified so as to intensify our efforts to promote our
city as a wholesome tourist destination and as a viable place for investments.

Development of Community-based Village Museum for Traditions

and Culture. Davao, as a preferred MICE destination, can only be sustained if the
city will offer new things to do in Davao. The city is starting to be perceived as a
“tired” location for MICE due to the lag in developing new tourism sites and new
tourism activities. Thus, the potential to develop Marilog, Mintal, TRIAD, and even
the urban area as tourism sites should be harnessed. This concept will emphasize
the development of local communities wherein villages can showcase their culture,
traditions and products, including souvenir items.

Davao City as Most Tourist-friendly City in the Philippines. This

initiative will have two components – Directional signage for tourists and renaming
streets if necessary to avoid confusion. Alpha numeric codes (related to Transport
Coding) will be used in Maps for easy navigation of the city’s streets as well as
contain info as to what are the nearby places of interest to explore within walking
distance. Said maps will have translations in Bahasa, Chinese, and Spanish.

8. Transportation Planning and Traffic Management

 Provide Immediate, Medium and Long-Term Traffic Management Programs

and Strategies
 Review of Franchising, Route/Schemes/Plans and Road Networks
 Assessment towards the improvement of the present transport system
 Creation of CTTMO (pursuant to Sections 205, 206, 207 & 208 of Ordinance
No. 0334-12, Series of 2012)
 Imposition of Discipline and Citation for both pedestrians and road users

Formulation of Comprehensive Transportation and Traffic

Management Plan. There is a need to conduct a study to determine the most
viable mass public transport system and public transport routes for better control of
everything that happens in the entire road network in the City of Davao.

Creation and Operationalization of CTTMO as a department. CTTMO,

as a department, created with budget appropriations, deputized Officers, and
manpower beefed-up to provide comprehensive traffic management.

9. Peace and Order

Page 14 of 27
So as to intensify protective and security measures to ensure and maintain
peace and order among communities and barangays in the City of Davao as well as
continue improvement on the capability of our local response systems and
enforcement units, the following strategies were identified:

Expansion of Central 911 Main Headquarter ans Satellite Stations.

To have a more effective and efficient emergency response facility which would
translate to a quicker response to emergencies (Calinan, Toril, Obrero or Agdao and
Buhangin).

More CCTVs and Surveillance Equipment. Installation of more CCTVs

and other surveillance equipment connected to the real time monitoring system of
the Public Safety & Security Command Center (PSSCC). Full implementation of the
CCTV Ordinance in all establishments.

10. Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation

 Creation of a Comprehensive Local Climate Change Action Plan

 Development and strengthening of disaster preparedness, reponse and
recovery programs to promote resiliency and mitigate the risks and impacts of
disaster
 Assessment of vulnerability and adaptation of communities

Flood Control Mitigation Plan. A Floodway Mitigation Plan that will

include identification of flood control projects and strategies to arrest growing risk.
This will include recommendations such as the purchase of lots or acceptance of lot
donations that will be used as water retention ponds, full implementation of the Rain
Harvesting Ordinance, usage of macrophytes, etc.

Land Contour and Level Preservation Ordinance. It is also suggested

that an Ordinance be crafted to halt and preserve present contours and elevation of
land which would mean no more earth movement and earth refilling activities,
unless classified necessary for flood control issues.

Identified Sectoral Issues

Page 15 of 27
The most pressing issue that the City, or the entire world, is facing is climate
change because it affects everyone and all sectors of society. Climate change has
become inevitable and its effects imminent. It is thus imperative for the City
Government to prepare and make sure that the City will continue to flourish despite
this harsh reality.

PAGASA projects that Davao City will experience an increase in the average
temperature between 0.9 to 1.1°C by 2020 and up to 2.3°C in 2050. Days are
already becoming hotter as observed by many throughout the City. The current
observation of dry days for the same time period have reached 7,930 while the
projected figure is 4,789 days in 2020 and is expected to increase to 5,368 days in
2050.

Whereas Davao City used to be typhoon-free, nowadays, due to climate

change, typhoons at times pass through the City. Thus, the City is now exposed to
different climate-induced hazards that encompass the different sectors.

Other climate change induced hazards are: flooding, drought, rain-induced

landslides, strong winds, monsoon waves and sea-level rise.

As the City progresses, issues regarding Land Use also arise such as: rapid
population growth, incidence of poverty, housing for urban poor and informal
settlers, traffic congestion, continued ecological and/or environmental degradation,
and the lack of road networks connecting major districts. Stated below are some of
the identified sectoral issues of the City:

Agriculture

Under agriculture, one of the issues is that the full potential yield of cereals
cannot serve the requirements of the City. The production levels of root crops and
vegetables meet only a small portion of the City’s dietary needs. It had been noted
that there was a decline on the number of vegetable farms. Although the Organic
Agriculture Ordinance was issued in order to set up organic agricultural zones that
will be protected from encroachment and contamination of chemical-based farm
inputs, it was not systematically implemented.

Moreover, the fish production in Davao City is insufficient. Only a tenth of the
per capita consumption of fish is sourced from existing production areas within the
City. Low production in some aquaculture areas is explained by high production
inputs, lack of sources for quality fingerlings, weak financial capacity, and
undeveloped aquaculture potential areas. With this, the catch per unit effort (CPUE)
in the municipal waters of Davao City is low.

Forestry

Davao’s forest cover is only 16% of its total land area which could lead to the
endangerment of the habitat for wildlife and heightened possibility of erosion and
landslides.

Page 16 of 27
Based on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, 16,000 hectares of the City’s
area is covered under 13 forest management agreements between DENR and
private groups. However, forest management has not been maximized and the rate
of forestland development has been slow.

Moreover, upon consultation with stakeholders, the following issues were

identified: rapid degradation/depletion of the City’s forest resources attributed to
overexploitation; lack of coordination between the different national agencies and
the LGU in the performance of devolved and retained functions and slow replanting
of farm forest which is to be undertaken by the contracted community.

Manufacturing

The locations of the manufacturing firms are well distributed around Davao
City but with pronounced concentration in District I. There is overcrowding of
establishments in the Central Business District. There are pollution-causing industries
in District I that may eventually pose dangers to the people and environment.

There is a healthy demand for industrial lands in the City. However, the prices
of land classified as industrial have become very prohibitive for land consolidators to
make a head start in developing industrial complexes.

Food Processing

The food processing business in the City has been experiencing challenges
like: shortage of raw materials supply, high cost of transporting raw materials from
sources to processing plants, insufficient information regarding the fruit processing
sector and its values and principles, inadequate start-up capital of small food
processors, short shelf life of processed foods, and insufficient institutional support
to the food processing sector.

Tourism

Recognized as one of the safest cities in the world for many years and now
the home of the first Mindanaoan President, Davao City remains the prime tourist
destination in the Southern Philippines. With the efforts of the City Government of
Davao, local attractions, festivals, and activities are constantly improved and
polished to cater the growing number of tourists.

Although tourists can maximize their stay in Davao City because of the close
proximity of its tourist attractions, there is a need to develop more natural tourist
attractions in other districts to balance tourism development that is currently
concentrated in the First District.

The safety, health, sanitation and pollution monitoring capability of the local
government need an upgrade to ensure that tourism establishments provide quality
services to their clients. In particular, enforcement of building regulations must be

Page 17 of 27
intensified to ensure tourism infrastructure standards are met.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Developing Davao City as investment haven for Information and

Communication Technologies (ICT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is one
of the City Government’s key economic agenda. The continued upward trend of ICT
industry is evident with the growing number of companies that are coming in and
still increases each year.

Micro, Small, and Medium-Scale Enterprise Development

A large number of manufacturing establishments in Davao are considered

micro and small-scale. A strong micro-entrepreneurial drive amongst the populace
has been noted. However, many of them use the City’s streets and sidewalks as
their business space. There is a need to invest in the provision of urban spaces for
informal and micro businesses and assist budding entrepreneurs in improving or
expanding their businesses, as well as enhancing products and services.

Cooperatives

Cooperatives are among the micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises that
dominate the City’s economic scene in terms of numbers. Its concerns focus on the
areas of cooperative management and institutional development, livelihood
assistance, and extension services: inadequate technical and management skills in
the micro and small cooperative categories, inadequate capital to expand operation
and business of cooperatives and lack of technical/mutual support in the
implementation of development projects among cooperatives.

Trade

Metro Davao steadily gains momentum in terms of trading, considering its

strategic location, rich natural resources, and conducive growth business
environment. It has become popular to local and foreign investors, who desire to tap
into the 25-million market of Southern Philippines.

The original Central Business District continues to be a prime location of

businesses in Davao although business establishments have begun to expand
towards Districts II and III. There is a need to increase different types of
infrastructures, facilities, and services to serve the demands of these auxiliary
growth centers. The following are the other challenges of this sub-sector: business
trade/commercial service centers in the auxiliary growth centers of the City, low
awareness by the international market of Davao City’s potential as a viable
investment destination, lack of special economic zones to support the promotion of
the Preferred Investment Areas, indicated in the Davao City Investment Incentive
Code, specifically on Agriculture, Tourism, and Light Manufacturing, lack of
coordination for SME support and that preferred investment areas, indicated in the
Davao City Investment Incentive Code, are already outdated and needs to be

Page 18 of 27
reviewed.

Health

The City, in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), spearheads

the extension of health services and enhancement of health facilities to address
health needs of its people particularly in the geographically isolated and
disadvantaged areas.

One of the growing concerns of the health sector is the state of health
facilities in Davao that, if unaddressed, could mean low coverage of clients and poor
quality of services that may lead to increase in morbidity and mortality and other
epidemic occurrences.

The following are some of the identified health issues in the City: high
maternal mortality ratio, low treatment coverage for sick children under five, low
fully immunized children (FIC), high incidence of teenage pregnancy, increasing
number of HIV/AIDS cases, increasing dengue cases, inadequate psychosocial care
and support services, low number of orally-fit children under five years old, 2% of
households have doubtful water sources and the need to standardize health
facilities.

Education

Programs on education in the City address the need for literacy starting from
early childhood development until such time an individual is ready for life skills
program, which will subsequently produce globally competitive human resources.
Mainstreaming of values, culture, and Filipino ethics in the curriculum is part of
literacy.

Some of the issues in relation to education is that, in rural areas, school sites
are not accessible to school-going age pupils. There are also fewer public secondary
schools in Davao City’s rural areas. These could have the implications of increasing
the number of drop-outs and lowering participation rates in both elementary and
secondary education. Rural families might be affected by high costs of expenses as
they look for options to obtain education for their children, and in some settings,
safety of school children might be a concern.

In terms of school facilities in Davao City’s public elementary schools, most do

not have science laboratories, computer rooms, internet access, clinics, and even
good comfort rooms. Most of the public secondary schools do not have computer
rooms, internet access, clinics, libraries, and good comfort rooms. These could
impact negatively on pupils’/students’ interest in reading, science, research, and
constrain them from learning good online and livelihood skills.

Moreover, there are also public elementary and secondary schools that do not
have the required quantity of teachers, classrooms, desks/armchairs and textbooks.
These could lead to poor quality of education because of overcrowded classrooms,

Page 19 of 27
overloaded teachers, and shortened classes.

Social Welfare

The local government provides meaningful opportunities for social and

economic growth of the disadvantaged sectors. In terms of social welfare facilities,
however, there are challenges in meeting DSWD standards on day-care centers such
as the number of day-care centers as well as the poor condition of some existing
day-care centers.

Access to basic services must also be made easier especially now that there is
an increase in the number of disadvantaged families and in poverty incidence which,
thus, indicate higher demand for social services.

Another cause for concern is the rising number of violence against women
(VAW) cases as it not only signify continued perpetuation of discrimination against
women but also, as the number of dysfunctional families increase, so does the
likelihood of more women bearing multiple burdens and reduced benefits and
privileges for them.

The rise of psychosocial problems due to juvenile delinquency has also been
noted, which could lead to an increase in crimes associated with children who are in
conflict with the law (CICL).

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) have limited access to appropriate services at

the barangay level, which means that the needs of many PWDs for physical, social
and mental development are still unmet.

In terms of the City’s social welfare service delivery system, not all barangays
have social workers and District Social Welfare Offices have inadequate spaces.

Roads, Bridges, Ancillary Facilities, and Drainage

Infrastructure Development is focused primarily on providing adequate

physical base to support economic and social development. As the City progresses,
its residents also experience heavier traffic and thus feel the necessity of having
better public transportation and roads.

Currently, there are still roads that are in poor condition, there are not
enough high-standard farm-to-market roads, and some road projects have problems
with the implementation such as road-right–of-way issues.

As for ancillary facilities, there are problems regarding poorly maintained

pedestrian overpasses, sidewalks including unsafe pedestrian crossings.

Furthermore, some areas of the City experience flooding. During heavy

rainfall, there are drainage lines with insufficient capacity or time to cope with heavy

Page 20 of 27
downpour. Some culvert installations have larger size than the next conduit system
resulting to flow mismatch.

Transportation Facilities

The developments for air, land and sea transportation must go along with the
growth of Davao City. There is also a rapid growth in air traffic volume both in
cargo and passengers. Hence, it is imperative that the F. Bangoy International
Airport be upgraded. Both the Sasa and Sta. Ana Ports need to be upgraded and
repaired. The Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) is outdated and it
may not be relevant in the long run due to its size and location. Moreover, Traffic
congestion due to poor or lack of mass transportation system. The existing mass
transport system is unreliable and uncomfortable.

Power Supply

The power supply of Davao City is usually steady and sufficient but it is
sometimes compromised. Residents have also felt that electricity rates have
increased. Also, some areas in Davao City are not well-lit because some posts do
not have street lights which pose security risk to residents and pedestrians. While
100% of Davao City’s barangays have electricity, there are some remote sitios that
do not (18% or 533 sitios out of 2,886 sitios).

Fiscal Management

There are issues and concerns that are affecting the ability of City
Government to generate local revenue and resources and cater to the requirements
of its internal clients, the Barangay LGUs and City Hall employees, which include:
insufficient number of collection stations limiting access of the paying public, need
for a data integration system to generate real-time information online and the need
to improve the Barangay Finance System.

The City Government has been working hard to bring forth sustainable
development and the current residents, through proper education and information
drives, have become mindful that the City’s resources are enjoyed not only by the
present generation but also by the succeeding generations. In circumspect,
attaining a balance between development and sustainability has become a constant
in the forefront of people’s minds when planning the future of the City.
Collaborating closely with the private sector for the benefit of all its residents, the
City Government continues to strive towards this development even amidst all the
issues it encounters across the different sectors of society.

EXECUTIVE-LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Page 21 of 27
The Executive Department

Page 22 of 27
The 19th City Council

Page 23 of 27
The Secretariat of the Executive-Legislative Agenda Workshop

Page 24 of 27
Highlights of the Executive-Legislative Agenda Workshop

Page 25 of 27
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Page 26 of 27
Corcino, Ernesto I. Davao History. Davao City: R.O. Tesoro and Sons, Inc., 2002.
Print.

Dabbay, Gloria P. Davao City: Its History and Progress. Davao City, 1995. Print.

Page 27 of 27