In Davao City, countless minors have become victims of extrajudicial killings. Yet the perpetrators remain scot-free.
Apart from crime and juvenile delinquency, residents in Mini-Forest Boulevard, who live near the sea, need a dike, a real concrete one.
“It is very difficult for us especially when there’s a typhoon, Pulgo says. Houses near the sea have been damaged because there is no dike that could stop the sea from flowing toward us.”
Those whose houses were wrecked were forced to stay with their neighbors while thye others moved out of the neighborhood. This has been the case every year, especially during the typhoon or rainy season. Pulgo notices that every election, politicians would sponsor putting boulders in the sea to serve as dike.
“They always do that, put boulders into the sea as alternative to a dike, Pulgo complains.
Tundaon, has another problem in mind.
In 2000, according to her, hundreds of houses were burned down, including hers. “The fire truck could enter the place because of the narrow alleys. The fire could have damage only a few houses but it swept across the area, destroying many houses and displacing families,” she recalls.
“We have no choice but to stay here. We have nowhere else to go,” says Tundaon. She hope to move to a place away from the sea because, according to her, life is more difficult here.
For Linda Aranco, 66, living near the beach has been beneficial for her and her husband. They are residents of the biggest barangay in the First District, Bucana, in terms of the total number of voters. It has a total of 43, 793 registered voters.
To sustain her family’s needs, she sells boiled sweet potatoes and bananas, mangoes and peanuts, among others, along Times Beach.
“My income is enough to buy rice for the day. On weekends, if many people would go to the beach, it would mean more money for me. My husband helps by collecting fees from those who rent the cottages,” she says.
Aranco’s husband works at a resort. His income depends on the number of customers who will rent the cottages. They have four children who are all married. The first three finished only elementary. They have managed to send their youngest to college.
2007 Elections
