PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure creating the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA).
Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar announced Wednesday, April 27, 2022, that the President signed the measure on April 13 after a month since it was transmitted to Malacañang.
House Deputy Speaker and Davao City Third District Representative Isidro Ungab, meanwhile, confirmed to SunStar Davao that the bill he authored was already signed by the President via Republic Act (RA) No. 11708 or "An Act creating Metropolitan Davao Development Authority,” establishing the special development and administrative region to be known as Metropolitan Davao, which consists of six cities and nine municipalities.
According to RA 11708, Metropolitan Davao includes Davao City; the cities of Panabo, Tagum and Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte; Digos City in Davao del Sur; Mati City in Davao Oriental; and the municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Hagonoy, Padada, Malalag, and Sulop in Davao del Sur, Carmen in Davao del Norte, Maco in Davao de Oro, and Malita and Sta Maria in Davao Occidental.
Ungab thanked the President for signing the MDDA Act, as this sets off the transformation of the socio-economic landscape, growth and development of the Davao Region.
“This is a landmark legislation for the Davao region for this will spur progress and development in the area,” Ungab said in a forwarded press release.
He also thanked Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio, given that the creation of the MDDA was one of her initiatives as the head of the Metropolitan Davao Development Coordinating Committee (MDDCC), a special committee under the Regional Development Council-Davao Region.
Under RA 11708, Ungab sees a stronger coordination among Metro Davao’s component cities and municipalities in the planning, implementation and monitoring of priority programs and projects, and the MDDA Act will ensure a synchronized and unified development in the Davao region.
The MDDA law was enacted less than three months before Duterte will step down in the presidency on June 30.