DAVAO del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib said the intensified delivery of basic services and other peace-building initiatives enabled his administration to make significant strides in attaining inclusive development and sustainable peace.
Jubahib said during the celebration of the 55th Araw ng Davao del Norte on Friday, July 1, 2022, the reelected governor highlighted his accomplishment in the past three years.
These include, among others; the implementation of 1,246 projects worth P4.25 billion; the Zero-Billing program that provided free hospitalization to nearly 90,000 patients; the contact tracing app DavNor Covid-19 Information Management System (DCIMS) that won as Best in Government Covid-19 Pandemic Response; and, the implementation of the DavNor KAAGAPAY Program, which cushioned the impact of the pandemic in the province.
The governor also said the province raked in P4.5 billion in fresh investments since the governor took the helm of the province.
Under his administration, he said the province was declared "insurgency-free" due to his thrust of addressing the needs of the people transformed the landscape, especially in far-flung communities that were once neglected and vulnerable to the recruitment and abuses of the New People’s Army (NPA).
“Karon duna na silay kalsada, dunay panginabuhian... eskwelahan... health center. Aduna nay nag-atiman nila (They now have roads, livelihood, schools, health center. They are now taken care of)," Jubahib said.
He said the province opened up dozens of roads and built 35 schools in distant tribal villages, while 568 decent tribal houses were built in six IP communities with the help of the national government.
He revealed his frequent visits to the barangays, particularly the far-flung areas, allowed him to see and address the real problems of the communities.
“Sultihan ta mo, ang pag-antus nako pag-adto sa mga lagyong sitio nga walay kalsada para matubag ang panginahanglan sa atong mga kaigsoonan (I tell you, I don’t mind the discomfort of bumpy rides in visiting isolated communities just to address the needs of our people),” the governor said.
Jubahib said these crucial interventions freed the province from the clutches of the communist rebels, as it attained zero recruitment rate and less than five percent visibility rate of the NPA.
The Kaagapay program, he said, benefitted over 1,000 families who increased their income with the 110 metric tons of vegetables that they produced.
Over 12,000 families also gained from the dispersal of more than 50,000 free-range chickens, while 10,676 families received livelihood assistance worth P45 million.
Towards the end of his speech, Jubahib reiterated his support for the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Ang atong administrasyon karon bug-os nga musoporta sa bag-ong gobyerno ni (My administration fully supports the new government of) President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. ug Vice President Inday Sara Duterte,” he said. RGL