THE 20th City Council passed multiple ordinances and resolutions in 2024 that benefited Dabawenyos. The councilors not only crafted new ordinances but also updated existing legislation that had become outdated.
They addressed issues that significantly impacted Dabawenyos’ daily lives and the city's challenges, especially amid the intense political climate and the natural disasters that affected Davao City throughout the year.
New faces at the City Council
In January 2024, the newly elected Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) President for Davao City Chapter, January Duterte, joined the session. She urged Dabawenyos to respect barangay captains, emphasizing the difficulty of their jobs, and expressed gratitude to the barangay captains, her constituents in Catalunan Grande, and her family for their support.
January is the wife of Davao City First District Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte and the Barangay Captain of Catalunan Grande. She also served as ABC president in 2013, running unopposed.
The then newly-sworn-in Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation President and Councilor, Kristine Abdul Mercado of Barangay Sasa, outlined her commitment to youth empowerment and development during the 43rd regular session of the 20th City Council on November 21, 2023. On April 23, 2024, Abdul proposed the resolution "Re-expressing that the people of Davao City renounce war as an instrument of National Policy" in response to China's territorial claims over the West Philippine Sea and their encroachment on the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zones.
Significant milestones
Another good news for Dabawenyos in 2024 was the operation of the highly anticipated Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWDP). On January 9, 2024, Vice Mayor Melchor Quitain announced that the project had become operational. Apo Agua external relations officer, May Che Capili, confirmed that DCBWDP had been operational since December 1, 2023. The project is presently supplying bulk water to various systems in Calinan, Tugbok, Riverside, Dumoy, Cabantian, and Panacan.
Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo, chair of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, announced on February 13, 2024, that an ordinance declaring the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed as a protected area was under committee review. This ordinance is a significant step in safeguarding Davao City's primary water source, from which DCBWDP gets its supply.
In a bid to bolster its application for inclusion in the Unesco Global Geopark, the City Council passed an ordinance declaring Mount Apo a geological monument.
The council also highlighted the importance of education throughout the year. On July 3, 2024, the council approved the ordinance providing a one-minute water break for all private and public schools in the city to help prevent dehydration during the intense heat. The ordinance was proposed by Councilor Jessica Bonguyan.
The city also launched the Dabawenyo DCplinado modules on December 10, 2024, in compliance with City Ordinance No. 0552, Series of 2024. Proposed by Councilor Jonard Dayap, the ordinance aimed to instill discipline and responsibility in future generations.
Another major milestone was the full implementation of the Less Paper System in November 2024. Features requested by the council during a dry run were added to the Legislative Information Support System Program (LISSP), which will reduce paper consumption from 700 reams to just five reams per month.
A significant step towards providing comfort for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) seeking medical care was the construction of the IP Shelter at SPMC compound, which began in November 2024 and is expected to be completed by 2025. The shelter, proposed by City Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Rodolfo Mande, will serve as a one-stop facility for IP families visiting the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC). It will prioritize the needs of the runners and watchers from the city's 11 ethnolinguistic tribes: Ata, Bagobo Klata, Bagobo Tagabawa, Matigsalug, Obu-Manuvu, Iranun, Kagan, Maguindanaon, Maranao, Sama, and Tausug.
The council also approved on third and final reading Car-Free Sunday Ordinance on November 12, 2024, wherein Dabawenyos can engage in running, walking, and biking on the coastal road from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., starting November 30. Proposed by Baluran, the ordinance was approved in connection with the fitness program of the Davao City Sports Development Division.
On December 12, 2024, the council passed an ordinance to digitalize the city's Local Civil Registry (LCR) through the Civil Registration Information System (CRIS). Proposed by Councilor Bonz Andre A. Militar, this system aims to streamline the civil registry processes and improve accessibility for residents.
The council also approved an ordinance amending the 2017 Revenue Code, eliminating the need for business permits for delivery riders and replacing them with an annual occupational fee of just ₱125. This move was hailed by the United Davao Delivery Riders Association (Uddra) as a victory for the city's delivery riders, who had previously been required to obtain costly business permits for the past three years.
The ordinance sought to repeal seven provisions of the 2017 Revenue Code, specifically Section 5, Paragraph (C30), and Sections 79, 97, 229, 231, and 233. The amended ordinance reduces the financial burden on delivery riders, who previously paid ₱3,000 to ₱5,000 for business permits. A 25 percent surcharge will be imposed on those who fail to pay the occupational fee.
Updated ordinances
On April 16, 2024, the council passed the “Revised Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance of Davao City” on the third and final reading. The amendment, proposed by Councilor Luna Acosta, aims to protect minors from smoking and tobacco use and prohibits smoking in various public places, including government-owned vehicles and entertainment establishments.
In addition to the anti-smoking ordinance, Acosta proposed the amended Comprehensive Liquor Code, which was approved on May 7, 2024. This ordinance aims to limit children's exposure to alcoholic beverages.
On November 19, 2024, the council approved an amendment to Davao City's Drone Regulation Ordinance. Proposed by Acosta, the amendment introduced penalties, a no-contest provision, and citation tickets to the existing ordinance regulating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Another ordinance passed on December 10, 2024, was the banning of public urination and defecation, which was proposed by Councilor Jesus Joseph P. Zozobrado III. Violators will face a P500 fine and possible imprisonment for up to 10 days, with a P200 penalty option for those who choose not to contest the violation.
Budget allocations for 2024 and beyond
The city allocated approximately P15 million for the newly established Duaw Davao festival, Davao's new summer tourism campaign. Councilor Al-Ryan Alejandre expressed hopes that it would become an annual event, despite its establishment via an executive order rather than an ordinance.
Additionally, the city allocated P17 million in financial assistance to areas affected by Typhoon Kristine on November 12, 2024. Proposed by Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, the resolution aimed to provide aid to local government units (LGUs) declared under the State of Calamity.
Also proposed by Ortiz, the city council approved Supplemental Budget 1 (SB1) worth P2.21 billion on August 13, 2024; SB2 worth P600 million on November 20, 2024; SB3 worth P400 million on December 12, 2024, and SB4 worth P47.9 million on December 23. 2024.
For next year’s budget, the 20th City Council approved on third and final reading the Annual Budget 2025 worth P14.5 billion on December 3, 2024. This amount is a 12.69 percent increase from last year’s P12 billion. Ortiz said the increase was necessary to fund various city programs, projects, calamity funds, and salaries for plantilla, job order personnel, and contractual employees.
Issues raised at the City Council
As the city grappled with the increasing number of residents and the worsening traffic condition, several city councilors raised their concerns over road-related grievances to the Department of Public Works and Highways-Davao Region (DPWH-Davao) during their 10th regular session of the 20th City Council on March 19, 2024.
Ocampo expressed frustration over traffic congestion near the construction site of a flyover in Maa. He emphasized the need for coordination with the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) to mitigate congestion caused by the closure of the northbound lane.
Moreover, Councilor Conrado Baloran reported that there were several excavations on roads in Mintal, Tugbok, which caused traffic despite the roads being in good condition. DPWH then assured that they conduct thorough investigations to determine road conditions and monitor their usability.
This year also marked the operation of the Agdao Public Market, however, vendors of the market cried over the low number of consumers accessing the newly improved public market. Ligaya D. Uba, president of the dry goods section, said sales are low for vendors located on the second floor. The city council then passed a resolution for them to temporarily sell on the first floor.
The councilors voiced their concerns over the state of the Francisco Bangoy International Airport, also known as Davao International Airport (DIA), after Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte called upon the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to improve the airport’s facilities following reports from the visitors about its current condition. Along with Caap, the city council called on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Davao Region (LTFRB-Davao) about the multiple cases of erring drivers from the DIA.
On May 21, 2024, Councilor Louie John J. Bonguyan advocated for the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant as the solution to the city's landfill issue. Bonguyan explained that the WTE project would involve burning garbage to generate energy. He reassured that environmental concerns would be addressed, drawing parallels with Japan's real-time monitoring of carbon dioxide emissions, where exceeding limits triggers automatic plant shutdowns.
Ocampo earlier said on May 14, 2024, that an Australian firm is keen on advancing the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) project. The Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC) is currently in discussions with this firm, which intends to implement a new waste conversion technology without incineration.
Issues concerning the safety and security of Davao City were also raised on July 16, 2024, when Acosta in her privilege speech invited the Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao) to explain the appointment of three city directors at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) in just one day, as well as the newly installed DCPO director, PCol Hansel Marantan and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to the session to shed light on the legality of these changes.
PBrig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, PRO-Davao regional director during that time, told the group during the session on July 10, 2024, that the appointment of the three city directors was ordered by the Philippine National Police (PNP) national headquarters, adding that it was the discretion of the higher-ups and that the changes in the city directors were not his call. Meanwhile, Marantan expressed on July 23, 2024, that he asks for more time from the public as well as the councilors before they judge his performance as director of DCPO.
Following this, Acosta presented petition papers from Dabawenyos asking DILG and the current administration to reinstate the 19 station commanders in Davao City who were relieved from their duties. Torre then explained that the removal of the station commanders was based on empirical data and that they were not removed from the region but reassigned to other parts of the region.
Tensions in the political climate of the city council were felt as Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr. questioned Councilor Augusto Javier Campos III's loyalty to Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod after photos of him with another party circulated online on October 1, 2024. Photographs of Campos attending a political activity for another party surfaced online and this garnered mixed reactions from his fellow councilors at the 20th City Council.
Campos III and Councilor Wilberto Al-ag resigned as chairpersons of their respective committees in the 20th City Council. Campos submitted his resignation letter to Vice Mayor Quitain on October 4, stepping down as chairperson of the Committee on International Relations and the Committee on Housing, Rural and Urban Development (Socialized Housing Projects), effective immediately.
Al-ag submitted his resignation on October 10, resigning as chairperson of the Committee on Social Services and relinquishing his memberships in other council committees.
The city council also raised concerns over the trek of Councilor Bernie Al-ag to the uplands of Barangay Tagurano which was previously closed off due to the violations of the establishments that were set up there. The councilor defended his trek citing that he was there to provide services and consult the residents that were heavily affected by the area’s closure.
Al-ag’s trek to the uplands of Tagurano made the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao (DENR-Davao) investigate whether the councilor should face any penalties. Since the uplands of Tagurano are considered Strict Protection Zones (SEZs), violators may face a fine of P5,000 to P100,000 and potential jail time.
Following Bernie’s recent visit to the area, it was found out that residents of the uplands of Tagurano raised concern over their loss of livelihood after the area was closed off for trekkers and mountain climbers. Thus, the city government is now seeking approval from DENR-Davao to make a trail in the area. Proposed by Ocampo, he said that they are waiting for the DENR to approve the trail so that Dabawenyos and other tourists can enjoy the area. He noted that the application must undergo a strict, rigorous process, which could take a long time to be approved.
In an interview with Quitain on December 20, 2024, he commended the performance of the 20th City Council, describing their work this year as “very satisfactory.” He said that the council has efficiently handled assigned items and that only a few items now remain for discussion in the following sessions. He added that most pending matters, such as major ordinances that require revision or amendments have been completed.
“Efficient ang disposal sa items that were assigned to them and all the major items were thoroughly deliberated on and approved (The disposal of items assigned to them has been efficient, and all major items were thoroughly deliberated on and approved),” he said.
The 20th Council concluded its work for the year with its final special session on December 23, 2024. RGP
