STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

Last September 12, 2017, Tuesday, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio delivered her first State of the City Address inside the jampacked Sangguniang Panlungsod Session Hall attended by Davao City Council, region directors of national agencies, military and police officials, members of the diplomatic corps, city department heads, VIPs, and other invited guests.

Highlighted in her first Soca is Byaheng DO30, a three-year initiative of the 30 doable and significant projects that she started last year, and yes Byaheng DO30 is also a title of the city-run television program every Sunday morning aired at GMA Davao channel 5 highlighting these projects of the city government.

In her speech Mayor Sara pointed out that the formula for Davao to achieve security and development the government must address poverty reduction, create a skilled and educated workforce and hand in hand support of the globally competitive businesses.

Just last Thursday morning, I roamed around the Bankerohan public market for a photo walk and asked random people about their views on Mayor Sara’s performance and projects.

Jovie Sabroso, one of the public comfort room attendants at the market’s fish section, gave a positive review.

“I like Mayor Sara’s governance because she is tough and her toughness always lies in the right place.” Jovie said in vernacular.

In the Soca, the city achieved a significant decrease of 2,019 cases in the total crime volume from January to August this year as compared to the same period last year. Last year, the figure was at 7,653 cases. This year, it's down to 5,634.

“Credit also goes to the full implementation of Oplan Iron City, a teamwork between the police and police auxiliaries deployed in strategic places to provide security cover thru static post, foot, bike, mobile, combat patrol accompanied by relentless anti-criminality operations of Oplan Bulabog (anticrime), Oplan Lambat Bitag (road clearing operations), Oplan Double Barrel among others,” Mayor Sara said.

Alejandro Olarte, who has been selling taho for 20 years now, also gave Mayor Sara's administration the thumbs up.

“I can see a clear sense of direction where the city is heading when she is governing us together with its policies that protects and makes the city more prosperous,” Olarte also said in the vernacular.

While Olarte and Sabroso were full of praises both pointed out the worsening traffic situation as a concern that the City Hall has to address.

One of the projects being eyed by the local government is the high priority bus system wherein a much cleaner, faster and modernized mode of transportation is being offered for the convenience of the riding public.

Also the Mayor urged taxi operators to converge and to invest in a single DavaoTaxi app that aims to keep Davao’s taxi services relevant and efficient. Adding other modes of transport will just add to the congestion.

Though Davao seems to surpass its targets every single year, there are problems that have to be addressed immediately like traffic, thus the government must cope with the ever changing dynamics of society and its demand for swift change.