Sara urges gov’t workers to adopt ‘Davao way’ in serving public

DAVAO CITY -- Mayor Sara Z. Duterte encouraged fellow public servants to practice the “Davao brand” of public service.

“Our Davao brand of service should be the kind that we want to be served if we are part of the general public. Our brand of service should be friendly and accommodating, responsive, proactive, and fast and efficient,” Mayor Sara told the members of the Association of Regional Executives

of National Agencies of Region 11 (ARENA-11) on Monday.

Mayor Sara was the guest speaker during the organization’s flag-raising ceremony.

Duterte said that to better serve the public, government agencies should adopt thorough planning, use relevant data, and observe “standards of excellence.”

“We must veer away from phrases like “depende sa unsa man gusto ni Mayor” (it depends on what Mayor wants) or “puwede ra na basta musugot si Mayor” (it is okay as long as the Mayor permits). We are bound by the laws of our land and we should conscientiously plan how to execute the mandate of our offices and take advantage of systems and technology to do so,” she said.

Sara also encouraged government agencies to strengthen cooperation and ensure that the collective as

pirations of the Davao Region are achieved.

“Nothing is insurmountable when we are working together with one common goal -- driven by common energy, commitment, and dedication for public service,” Duterte said.

She also lauded the “tireless, committed, and dedicated men and women” of ARENA-11 for their contribution to the growth of the region and of this city.

“I humbly encourage all of you not to stay in the comfort of your air-conditioned offices, and instead, we must set forth and find those who urgently need our help,” the mayor said.

Duterte added: “I believe that our gathering today in a ceremony for the symbol of our country is a perfect way to start the year and perfect time for us to look back at the best practices that we put in place, implemented, and shared with each other to accomplish our plans -- with renewed optimism that we will be able to sharpen these best practices, even more, to accomplish greater things for the people of Region 11”.