Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte (Robby Joy D. Salveron/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – While City Mayor Sara Duterte’s leadership received a considerably “good rating” from Dabawenyos, a survey also revealed that residents want to see more from the local government by bringing in more efforts to remote areas in the city.
This was the most common suggestion among the 1,200 respondents from the three districts in Davao City who took the “Local Government Services: People’s Awareness and Access” survey conducted by the University of Mindanao – Institute of Popular Opinion (UM-IPO).
Bring services closer to remote villages
The survey showed that although Mayor Duterte scored an average of 90.87% leadership rating, which is considered as “good, and nearing superior”, the respondents suggested that “attention” including information, budget and continuation of programs initiated by the previous administration should be given to the said areas.
“In other words, bring the government closer to the barangay,” Adrian Tamayo, UM-IPO director, said in a press conference on Monday, November 13.
Accordingly, programs and services delivered by the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) and City Health Office (CHO) are the most noticeable services of the local government. These, said Tamayo, should be brought to far-flung barangays.
Lingap sa Mahirap, a one-stop shop for health services, was the most popular project for Dabawenyos, scoring a very high awareness of 8.6., while its accessibility remain high at 6.96.
CHO’s animal bites treatment service and program on STI/HIV-AIDS (Sexually-Transmitted Infections/Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) earned the second and third most popular government services.
READ: Davao’s care for HIV patients inspires Valencia City
‘Moderate’ awareness on government services
However, the over-all data of 20 services disclosed that people’s awareness of the government services is “moderate”, having scored 5.16 while perceived accessibility to these services and programs is deemed “low” with 3.93.
Survey items were based on the services and projects mentioned by City Mayor Sara Duterte in her State of the City Address (SOCA) in September.
Tamayo said one factor that tolled down the result was including some of the new services that are still on the “inception stage.” These include Davao City’s plan to develop its own taxi-hailing mobile application, the Kean Gabriel Hotline, and the Toril flyover construction, all earning low awareness and perceived accessibility from respondents.
“But taking only items that are already evident or are already delivered, the rating of the city government is actually very good. A little short on excellent ratings,” Tamayo explained.
Improve traffic situation
Among other recommendations were to improve traffic situation which Tamayo explained that all other government programs are “coming less” for residents of District 1 because of problems of traffic congestion.
“District 1 (including downtown areas) respondents are saying less of the programs that they know of when in fact it’s just a few distance. The message is they are burdened with the traffic situation,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
