THE Davao City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) will be getting its own office building at the back of the City Hall Annex, Magallanes Street, starting next year.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the five-storey building was held last Thursday, December 14, led by CSSDO head Maria Luisa Bermudo and Davao City Administrator Zuleika Lopez.
"Words can't fully express what I feel, since my staff has long been dreaming about having our own office after we have been devolved to the local government, that was 1992," Bermudo said.
She added that she is grateful that this project was considered under the administration of City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
"I am grateful that Mayor Inday looked for source of funds," Bermudo said.
She added that the new building will also house the offices for the persons with disability, senior citizens, and women.
"With this building, we have something we can call our own," she added.
The P40-million project will be funded by the National Government, which, Bermudo said, is the first building in the city to be built under national funding.
"Also with this project we envision that at the highest floor we can construct a dorm, which can serve as quarters of personnel during disaster operations. We will have a place for them to stay while we are having disaster operations. So it will really become the building where all the services for social welfare within the Davao City can be accessed," she said.
Bermudo was also happy to note that the new building will have an elevator for PWDS and senior citizens.
For her part, Lopez said that the contractor already committed to finish the building within 11 months.