PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, overwhelmed by Dabawenyos’ support to his children, said he is confident with Davao City’s future being under the leadership of his children, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, who were sworn into office Thursday, June 21.
He said he could never ask for more.
“Yung confidence and trust, and of course, your belief na kaya ko, pati kaya ng pamilya ko, na dalhin yung siyudad through a progressive city,” the president said.
He witnessed the oath taking of his youngest son Baste at the Sangguniang Panlungod session hall in Davao City Thursday afternoon along with Elizabeth Zimmerman, Mayor Duterte-Carpio and Paolo.
The President reminded his children to “stay humble and do not be front from that power”.
Baste, in his speech, said that he is ready to serve the public despite being a neophyte in government service.
“I come here armed with my fervent desire to serve. The challenges that lie ahead will be difficult. I may be new in government service, but I trust that this desire will be the impetus from where my impact to the city and its people will come about,” he said.
Duterte-Carpio and Paolo along with other congressional district representatives Vincent Garcia and Isidro Ungab and city councilors also officially took their oath yesterday morning.
Duterte-Carpio, in her speech, once again thanked the Dabawenyos for supporting her and her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) during the 2019 midterm elections last May, wherein the party’s senatorial, congressional, and council candidates snagged the actual voting in the city.
The mayor shared her accomplishment during her first term in the position. She said Davao region saw an accelerated economic progress.
“The past three years saw accelerated economic boom with the Davao region becoming the second best performing region in the country in terms of gross regional domestic product with a growth rate of 8.6 percent,” Duterte-Carpio said.
She added her umbrella program, Byaheng Du30, which was launched during the start of her term, will continue to expand its coverage with a new set of goals including 100-percent insurgency-free by 2020, further reduction of poverty incidence of 7.8 percent in the remaining months of 2018, security stability of the city, and development flourishment of the city.
The mayor said the Infrastructure Modernization for Davao City (IM4Davao) Project, in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will push through throughout the next three years, including the city’s sewerage treatment system.
She added she will be calling for an executive department meeting with the City Council in the coming weeks to discuss the plans and legislations to pe implemented in the coming years.
Congressman Duterte also delivered his speech, thanking the Dabawenyos for their support.
He said he hopes to come up with laws that will positively impact his constituents, specifically in livelihood, job employment, infrastructure improvement, education opportunities especially to the less fortunate children and the youth, and sustainable development across sectors, especially in the countryside.
“Our main agenda is not only development and change, but meaningful development and positive change,” Duterte said.
He said he hopes to see progress, not only in the region, but also in Mindanao. (RGL)