THE last two weeks was rough for Davao City. It experienced flooding in different parts and traffic has been really bad. On social media, Dabawenyos aired out their frustration over the growing urban problems of the city.
Following these developments, it is good to note that the local government unit of Davao City has implemented measures to ease the plight of the Dabawenyos.
Recently, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte has ordered the fast-track of the construction of all 38 drainage and flood mitigating structure projects in the city.
Amounting to P2.1 billion, these 38 projects include flood control mitigation structures along some of the city's rivers, pumping stations, and drainage structures.
The city has also deployed additional buses to augment the need for additional public transport. Provincial-type buses were deployed to serve the Panacan/Lasang, Cabantian, Buhangin, and Calinan routes. This is on top of the existing Peak Hour Augmentation Bus System (Phabs), which serves Toril and Catalunan Grande routes.
It is commendable that the city has begun to make its move in implementing measures that will help solve the urban problems that it is facing right now.
The city is at a good footing right now in terms of economic growth. However, the city itself has also been struggling to keep up with the growth.
We hope that the drainage and flood mitigating structure projects in the city are not only good in the short-term or medium-term. We hope that these projects they will be implementing are good for the long-term.
As for the public transport, we hope that the city will be able to meet its target implementation for the High Priority Bus System (HPBS).
Earlier, City Assistant Administrator Tristan Dwight Domingo said the city is pushing to implement the HPBS before the year ends or by first quarter of 2020. However, he also admitted that it is not easy to fast-track its implementation.
“The reason why we cannot just implement the HPBS is because we have to consider a lot of factors. This includes those drivers and operators who will be taken out of the roads,” he said.
It is good to know that the city has already been making steps to meet the demands of the growing city. However, the city must also do its best to move fast in addressing the urban problems and meeting the demands of the city in the coming years.