Meanwhile, Lacatan, a teacher at a public school, hopes that Duterte could help his sector by supporting the salary standardization law and the call to make local school boards permanent.
“May his administration help uplift the condition of those with marginal incomes,” Lacatan said. He is pushing for the provision of some benefits and social services such as free rice and, most importantly, accessible — if not free — education for the children of education workers and employees who have four or more children. “They badly need the government’s help,” he said.
Proper Drainage System and Waste Management
Between 2004 and 2007, City Hall envisioned 18 main drainage lines from Lizada to Sasa to address the chronic flooding in the city’s low-lying areas. This project costs about 250 million pesos.
However, there are still communities that have to deal with knee-high floods, especially during the rainy season. In Bucana, for instance, Bunal, the vendor, said that when it rains, her area will surely be inundated.
Floods, according to Lacatan, the teacher, are also due to improper disposal of garbage. “The information drive of the government regarding the proper waste disposal must continue especially in slum areas that are greatly affected when heavy rains fall,” he said.
No to Privatization of Water District
Another area of concern is the planned privatization of the Davao City Water District, which is part of the national government’s program. Once this happens, according to Editha Duterte of Kadamay, Davaoeos will bear another brunt.
Under the privatization scheme, the government will be inhibited from regulating the price of water and questioning the policies of the utility’s management, among others.
“We hope that Mayor Duterte would lead the local legislators in making a law that will protect the consumers against water privatization,” said Frankie del Rosario, spokesman of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Southern Mindanao. “The water code must be given priority by the local government,” he added, referring to a local law passed to protect the city’s water supply.
Gangs and Crimes
Bunal, the vendor, worries about the prevalence of teenage gangs who are into illegal drugs. In Boulevard, she said, “rugby boys” are aplenty. This is also a concern of Eusebio Pulgo, 41, and Maria Tundaon, 47, both residents of Boulevard. Like any parents, they fear for their children who might fall into a life of crime or become victims.
Tundaon, whose son was killed, allegedly by vigilantes, on suspicion that he was a gang member, hopes that City Hall will address the issue of extrajudicial killings.
Editha Duterte said she’s hoping that the Duterte administration would continue seeking justice for the victims of these killings. The mayor, known for his support of violent and extrajudicial means to deal with crime, once said that his administration will not just stand and watch as illegal drugs destroy the city’s youth.
