Bill creating Metropolitan Davao Development Authority gets Senate’s final OK

The bill creating the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA) was approved by the Senate on third and final reading.

With 23 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and zero abstention, the upper house approved the measure that will consider 15 local government units in the Davao region as a special development and administrative region, to be known as Metropolitan Davao.

These LGUs include Davao City; the Cities of Panabo, Tagum and the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte; Digos City in Davao del Sur; Mati City in Davao Oriental; the municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Hagonoy, Padada, Malalag, and Sulop in Davao de Sur; the municipality of Carmen in Davao del Norte; Maco in Davao de Oro; and Malita and Sta. Maria in Davao Occidental.

According to the bill, the MDDA will be mandated to “coordinate and promote socio-economic growth and sustainable development of Metropolitan Davao.”

The MDDA shall likewise execute the powers and functions provided under the measure, but it will “no way diminish the autonomy” of the LGUs of Metropolitan Davao.

The scope of MDDA services include:

• Development planning
• Transport management
• Solid waste disposal and management
• Flood control and sewerage management
• Urban renewal, zoning, land use planning, and shelter services
• Health and sanitation, urban protection, and pollution control
• Public safety

An MDDA council will be formed which will govern and make policies for the concerned LGUs.

It will be composed of the chairperson of the Regional Development Council, the governors of the provinces of Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental, and the 15 mayors of the cities and municipalities concerned.

The chief executives of the 15 LGUs would be considered ex officio members.

The MDDA chairperson will be appointed by the president of the Philippines from a selection of nominees submitted by the council. The chairperson will serve for a term of three years.

The MDDA council meetings would also be attended by the regional heads of the following departments but they would be “non-voting members”: National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD); Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Health (DOH); Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Energy (DoE), Department of Tourism (DoT), Department of Transportation (DoTr); Land Transaction Office (LTO), and Philippine National Police (PNP). — BM, GMA News