Thursday, July 24, 2008 Council okays appointment of new city engineer
THE Davao City council has approved the appointment of Engineer Jose Dureza Gestuveo Jr. as new City Engineer through a resolution passed Tuesday under suspended rules.
Councilor Peter Laviña, chair of the committee on appointments and government reorganization and proponent of the resolution, said Gestuveo's qualifications especially as an urban planner "would surely come handy in his new job."
"The city is fast growing and it needs people who should see it as a forest and not just trees," Laviña said.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte appointed Gestuveo to the post last Monday.
He tasked Gestuveo to improve the capacity of the city's existing drainage system as solution to the flooding during heavy rains.
This is the mayor's alternative due to the unwillingness of private property owners to donate a portion of their lands for canal construction thus new and larger canals cannot be constructed for lack of space.
Gestuveo has degrees in Mechanical Technology, Mechanical and Civil Engineering and Masters in Urban and Regional Planning.
He has professional licenses as Mechanical Engineer, Civil Engineer and Master Plumber.
He started his government service at the City Engineers' Office as Field Staff during the early 1980s.
When his first cousin, Jesus Dureza, won a seat in Congress in 1987, Gestuveo joined him at the House of Representatives as a Technical Staff.
After Dureza left Congress, Gestuveo joined the Davao City Water District and stayed for 19 years. There he rose to the position of Department Manager before he accepted the mayor's offer to head the CEO.
