Mayor Sara Duterte Sets-up Express Lane to assist Dengue Victims

Davao City – To act with dispatch and assist victims of Dengue, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has put up an express lane at the City Mayor’s Office now in its new location formerly occupied by General Services Office at the ground floor of City Hall, Magallanes wing.

While the medical and cash assistance could be available to those who got ill and those who have lost a member of the family due to the disease, Mayor Sara emphasized to make it exclusive for city’s residents.

Mayor Sara said part of the requirements to hasten the processing of the request only include the official hospital diagnosis of patient or death certificate, as the case may be.

With the reported cases of Dengue escalated, Mayor Sara is apt to refer the matter to City Health Office and the Department of Health on whether or not to declare the city in a state of calamity.

“If declared in a state of calamity, we can use already the calamity funds for that and in regard on how it will be used, it will have to be recommended by the City Health Office that’s why kinahanglan gyud ilang recommendation kay it will be up for them if we will need more medicines, more facilities or equipment or more manpower sa barangay. It has to be assessed by competent personnel and in this case, those from city health office and DOH”, the mayor said.

Mayor Sara reiterated to mobilize barangay officials in the fight against dengue who are earlier noted to have undergone dengue awareness refresher course.

“We need to utilize their purok leaders and the volunteers up to the household level for the daily clean-up of surroundings to prevent the proliferation of dengue cases in their respective barangays”, Mayor Sara said. (CIO – Roldan G. Gorgonio)

LTFRB Director Mohammad Pushes for Safe Driving Seminar

Davao City – Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Regional Director Abdulgafar Mohammad is set to issue a memorandum directing all operators of public utility vehicles that their drivers will undergo safe driving seminar.

Earlier in the week, complaints have reached again Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of abusive drivers over-speeding major thoroughfares of what passengers would call “uso-uso” jeepneys.

“Tungod sa ilahang pagmaneho, ipatuman ang mga balaod regarding sa traffic regulations and unsa man ang buhaton sa mga driver”, Mohammad said.

Appearing as guest in the weekly Gikan sa Masa television program of Vice-Mayor Duterte, Mohammad openly confessed to have an occasion of chasing an over-speeding taxi but only to succeed getting the plate number which he eventually penalized the driver for a fine of 6 thousand pesos.

Meanwhile, Land Transportation Office Head of Operations Eleonor Calderon tipped-off taxi companies and PUJ Operators on the selection process of their drivers.

“Our data system is open to check the backgrounds of our drivers, feel free to come to our office and ask for the backgrounds of these drivers”, Calderon said.

Mohammad suggested with LTO that after payment by the driver of his fine for reckless driving and other abuses, the corresponding driver’s license should be suspended for 3 to 6 months.

However, Duterte said flagrant abuses committed by drivers are neither negligence nor accident. “Para nako, driver’s abuses are so severe as to tantamount to malice”, he said, adding that to deal with abusive drivers is to give them the maximum penalty.


Signalization Project: Dream of Davao City

On the other hand, Davao City Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has announced the near completion of the signalization project saying, it’s a dream of Davao City.


“Davao City is the fastest growing metropolis, a term used for a city that’s burgeoning into something big so we have this traffic signal all over the city with cameras”, Duterte said. “Kita lang sa Mindanao ang naay pinaka extensive nga traffic signalization”, he further said.

Duterte however stressed that human traffic aide on the ground under the auspices of the city’s Traffic Management Center still prevails over road traffic conflicts. “We are dealing here with humans”, he said.

According to LTO Operations Head Eleanor Calderon, records of the Land Transportation Office reveal a total of 133,000 registered motor vehicles in Davao City and 98,000 driver’s license holders. “As compared to those manning the city streets, LTO only have 68 personnel”, Calderon stressed.

Duterte said, there are 600 to a thousand motor vehicles sold in the city daily which excludes in the figure sales of motorcycles. The only way to manage this according to him is to implement discipline on the streets. (CIO – Roldan G. Gorgonio)

Abusive motorists get ire of Duterte anew; seeks severe penalties for violators

Davao City – Speaking in his weekly Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa television program Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte lambasted drivers of both private and public utility vehicles for utter disregard of existing laws on traffic and suggested to both Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) higher penalties not to exclude suspension or revocation of a driver’s license even for first time offenders.

“Kanang first offense, second offense, mao nay pangpagara” Duterte said referring to a proviso in the law which gradually increases the administrative fine for habitual traffic law violators.

Potential victims of reckless drivers which Duterte specified are mostly children, women and the elderly who exposed themselves to danger of being bumped by rushing motorists.

“Kanang tao nga naglabang nga naa na diha sa pedestrian (lane), mo para gyud (ang sakyanan) para sila palabangon” (vehicles should come to a complete stop giving way for pedestrians).

Duterte considered it as a flagrant abuse for motorists not to heed laws for pedestrians. “It is not negligence or accident, it is really done with malice”, he said.

Duterte contemplated for the creation of an office in Central 911 that will exclusively receive complaints related to abuses committed by drivers. “Magbutang ug desk (in Central 911) para didto na mo mag storya”, he said.

Duterte said that the speed limit allowed by law for motor vehicles in the city’s major thoroughfares is only 40 kilometers per hour. Complaints have reached him on the resurgence of “uso-uso” (jeepneys with features of death-defying speed) plying the routes of Calinan and Toril.

Pointing at LTO’s discretion to revoke driver’s license, Duterte hinted on taking away the privilege to drive even for first time violators.

“I will recommend for the meantime nga kanang mga offenses because of the many abuses, total naa man sa discretion sa LTO, at first instance pakngon na lang daan it’s either you revoke or you suspend. Dili lang suspension as there is a possibility of reinstating the privilege to drive. They should be permanently prohibited from driving motor vehicles and I will see to it nga ing ana ang mahitabo sa davao”, Duterte said. (CIO-Roldan G. Gorgonio)

Davao City Still Safe for Tourists Despite Malaria Outbreak

Davao City Health Office amidst various reports on the outbreak of malaria here has assured the tourism industry not to worry as it has already done measures to contain the disease.

Chief Health Officer (CHO) Josephine Villafuerte explained that malaria and dengue diseases are alarming in the periphery of Gumitan and Paquibato and not necessarily in Davao’s urban centers, which she said cannot be a cause of worry to the tourism industry. “It is only in the periphery where most of the lumads are malnourished and so the immunity is very low”. Villafuerte said.

Earlier last week after CHO documented positive cases of Malaria and Dengue immediately dispatched a team to conduct active case detection by doing blood smear on potential victims of malaria parasites in the outskirt Barangays Gumitan and Paquibato, noted to have the highest number of malaria cases late of June this year which now rises to the level of an outbreak.

Villafuerte in justifying the outbreak however said there is a doubling of malaria cases compared to that of last year. “Last year, we only have 17 reported cases of Malaria and we have less than 20 reported cases in 2008. In the first six months of 2010 we already have 183 persons found to be positive with this disease ”, she added.

Local Government’s measures to control spreading the disease in the dreaded areas include rapid diagnostic tests and treatment of the victims. Villafuerte emphasized inter-border activities of her team (referring to the two barangays) to include indoor residuals and clearing of streams as potential breeding sites for mosquitoes.

“They did indoor residuals, so nag spray sila sa mga bahay-bahay para yung lamok pagdumapo sa walls mamatay”, she added.

City Health is also giving mosquito nets impregnated with chemicals to households in the areas. Villafuerte said that the saturation has the formula of killing the mosquito once it touches the mosquito net the killing efficiency of which could last for 5 years.

Villafuerte was quick to respond as a matter of precaution that because the disease is a mosquito-borne infection, people in the urban areas need to devise measures not to give mosquitoes a chance to lay eggs anywhere. “If you have symptoms like recurring fever, you should not hesitate to see a doctor immediately and have yourself examined”, she said. (CIO/Roldan G. Gorgonio)

Committee Chairpersons for the 16th Davao City Council

The various chairpersons on different committees are as follows:

1. Committee on agriculture and food — Councilor Conrado Baluran, chair.
2. Committee on appointments and government reorganizations – Councilor Conrado Baluran.
3. Committee on barangay affairs – Councilor Paolo Z. Duterte.
4. Committee on civil, political and human rights – Councilor Karlo Bello.
5. Committee on cooperative development and people’s participation – Councilor April Marie Dayap.
6. Committee on cultural communities and Muslim affairs —Councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling.
7. Committee on education, science and technology, art and culture — Rachel Zozobrado.
8. Committee on energy, transportation and communication— Councilor Pilar Braga.
9. Committee on environment and natural resources – Councilor Marissa Salvador-Abella.
10. Committee on ethics and good government – Councilor Melchor Quitain.
11. Committee on finance, ways, means and appropriations— Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz.
12. Committee on franchise and public utilities – Councilor Victorio Advincula.
13. Committee on games and amusements – Councilor Dante Apostol.
14. Committee on health – Councilor Bernard Al-ag
15. Committee on government enterprise and privatization — Councilor Louie John Villafuerte.
16. Committee on housing, rural and urban development – Councilor Arnolfo Cabling.
17. Sub-committee on housing and subdivision on high end projects – Councilor Rachel Zozobrado.
18. Sub-committee on medium end projects – Councilor Karlo Bello..
19. Committee on internal relations — Councilor Jimmy Dureza.
20. Committee on labor and employment opportunities – Councilor Edgar Ibuyan.
21. Committee on peace and public safety – Councilor Paolo Duterte.
22. Committee on public works and highways – Councilor Louie John Bonguyan.
23. Committee on social services — Councilor Tomas Monteverde IV.
24. Committee on tourism and beautification – Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre.
25. Committee on trade, commerce and industry – Nilo Abellera Jr.
26. Committee on youth and sports development – Councilor Halilah Sudagar.
27. Committee on Information and Technology – Councilor Jo Anne Bonguyan.
28. Committee on government-owned real properties – Councilor Jimmy Dureza.
29. Committee on women and children, and family relations – Councilor Leah Librado.
30. Committee on publications – Councilor Rene Elias Lopez.

Peace Advocates Launch Mindanao Peoples Peace Agenda

June 25, 2010 – The Mindanao PeaceWeavers (MPW), a convergence of peace advocates in Mindanao, is set to launch the Mindanao Peoples Peace Agenda (MPPA) on Friday at the Brokenshire Resort and Convention Center which will be done under a distinctive ambiance and influence of Mindanao’s culture rather than the traditional ribbon cutting ceremonies.

Deemed as blueprint towards a common peace platform for Mindanao, MPPA outlines the aspirations for peace, justice and development of the MPW constituency and incorporates their recommendations to the key stakeholders and conflict actors in Mindanao on how the continuing peace and development challenge can be addressed.

Barangay ASTIG Program Changes Guards

June 24 - Barangay Adapting a System for Independent Growth Program (Barangay ASTIG Program, for brevity) inducts today its new sets of officers for its women organization, ASTIG ng Ray of Hope and the Solo Parent ng Ray of Hope at the Ray of Hope, Ma-a City Jail of this city.

ASTIG program being conceptualized in 2006 has the aim of liberating the community from drug problems. It chose Barangay 76-A in Bucana as its pilot area. Barangay Bucana in Davao is the biggest barangay in terms of population.