INCOMING Governor Raul “Kap Raul” Mabanglo and 1st District Representative Maricar Zamora are calling for urgent reforms in provincial asset management, pledging to convert Davao de Oro’s reported wealth into real improvements in public services, particularly in health and infrastructure.
In a joint statement posted on the province’s official Facebook page, the two officials questioned why Davao de Oro, ranked the fourth richest province in the country based on assets, still struggles with poorly equipped hospitals and idle infrastructure projects.
Zamora said that the discrepancy stems from how financial reports account for assets—such as roads, buildings, and housing projects—that have already been funded but remain under the provincial government’s custody because they were never formally turned over to the barangays.
Mabanglo cited the 2014 Pabahay Project as a clear example. Although completed years ago, the project is still listed as a provincial asset and hasn’t benefited residents because the intended local government unit (LGU) never officially accepted it.
“If it’s still with the province and not with the barangay, how can people make use of it?” he asked.
He said his first 100 days in office will focus on conducting a full inventory of provincial assets, including land, buildings, equipment, personnel, and financial records. Once verified, these assets will be formally turned over to the appropriate LGUs for maintenance and use.
“The people must feel the impact of the budget that was used. It’s not enough for it to exist only in documents,” Mabanglo said.
This call for transparency follows Mabanglo’s earlier revelation of a ₱41 million fuel debt left by the outgoing administration, as reported by SunStar Davao. He also raised concerns about selective auditing and what he called a “possible political vendetta” in how irregularities were previously addressed.
Both leaders said these issues reflect deeper governance problems that need fixing to ensure public funds lead to real, measurable improvements in the lives of Davao de Oro residents. DEF