SENATOR Francis Tolentino, who was the former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson, said the newly created Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA) will be a better version of the MMDA.
"Marami pong improvements, 'halos katulad pero 'yung mga ilang pagkukulang ng (There are a lot of improvements. They are almost the same, but some of the provisions, which is lacking in the) MMDA - Metro Manila Development Authority ay naibigay sa (were incorporated to the) Metro Davao Development Authority (MDDA). Meron pong malaking pagkakaiba, may (There is a huge differents and)improvement in terms of execution, planning, [and] coordination," Tolentino said in an interview on dzRH TV.
The senator said MMDA was created to address congestion and other mutual problems encountered by local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region, unlike the MDDA, which preempts future problems in Metro Davao.
The MMDA also has police authority to consider in implementing peace and order while the Metro Davao Police Force will have a separate mandate from the Police Regional Office and police provincial offices.
"Nakita natin ‘to nung simula ng pandemic eh. Iba ‘yung curfew, iba ‘yung lockdown, napakagulo (We saw this at the start of the pandemic. The curfews [that the LGUs enforced] wee different, the lockdowns were different, it was confusing)," Tolentino said.
Davao City Mayor and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio, meanwhile, thanked the senator, who is the host of “Sa Ganang Mamamayan” on Net 25, for the latter’s effort in pushing for the law’s enact in the Senate.
Duterte-Carpio mentioned peace and order, solid waste management, traffic management, and transportation as the immediate concerns that the MDDA needs to address.
"Hopefully, kung sino po 'yung mapiling chairman ng Metropolitan Davao ay mapagplanuhan nila ng maayos at ma-execute nila at the soonest possible time ‘yung collaboration (Hopefully, whoever is chosen to be the chairman of Metro Davao, will plan properly and execute the collaboration at the soonest possible time)," she said.
The mayor cited the enactment of the MDDA as an accomplishment of the Regional Development Council (RDC), under the leadership of Davao de Oro Governor Tyron Uy.
Duterte-Carpio said Uy asked her to lead the Metropolitan Davao Coordinating Committee of the RDC for the fast-track crafting of the MDDA law.
The law known as Republic Act (RA) 11708, or “An Act creating Metropolitan Davao Development Authority,” was signed by the mayor’s father, President Rodrigo Duterte on April 13, and was publicized on April 27.
House Deputy Speaker and Davao City Third District Representative Isidro Ungab crafted the MDDA, establishing the special development and administrative region to be known as Metropolitan Davao, which consists of six cities and nine municipalities.
MDDA's jurisdiction, also called Metro Davao, includes Davao City and the nearby cities of Panabo, Tagum, and Samal in Davao del Norte; Digos in Davao del Sur; Mati 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.
The governing board and policy-making body will be the Metropolitan Davao Development Council, composed of the chairperson of the Regional Development Council-Davao, governors of the five provinces, six city mayors, and nine municipal mayors.