TAGUM CITY —The economy of Davao del Norte is slowly perking up despite the series of oil price hike and he threat of the Coronavirus Disease-19,says Governor Edwin I. Jubahib on Tuesday.
The economic intervention through the livelihood, backyard chicken and hog raising which his administration has initiated has helped the people to earn while being locked up due to quarantine restrictions.
“As it is now, we can see the movement of goods and people in the market, the capacity of he people to spend is felt. Though the series of oil price increase has affected them, but people are now going back to basics, they plant their own food, while the provincial government buys their goods like vegetables and hog and chicken at a reasonable price, so they will no longer shoulder the cost of transporting their produce because they earned the same,” he added.
Jubahib said intensified delivery of basic services and other peace-building initiatives enabled his administration to make significant strides in attaining inclusive development and sustainable peace.
In his ‘report card’ to the people, the governor outlined his accomplishments in three years, during the celebration of the 55th Araw ng Davao del Norte on July 1, 2022.
These include, among others; the implementation of 1,246 projects worth P4.25 billion; the Zero-Billing program that provided free hospitalization to nearly 90,000 patients; the contact tracing app DavNor COVID-19 Information Management System (DCIMS) that won as Best in Government Covid-19 Pandemic Response; and, the implementation of the DavNor KAAGAPAY Program, which cushioned the impact of the pandemic among the Dabaonons.
Davao del Norte also raked in P4.5 billion in fresh investments since the governor took the helm of the province.
Jubahib said his thrust of addressing the needs of the people transformed the landscape especially of far-flung communities that were once neglected and vulnerable to the recruitment and abuses of the New People’s Army (NPA).
“Karon duna na silay kalsada, dunay panginabuhian… eskwelahan… health center. Aduna nay nag-atiman nila (They now have roads, livelihood, schools, health center. They are now taken care of), he assured.
He revealed his frequent visits to the barangays, particularly the far-flung areas, allowed him to see and address the real problems of the communities.
“Sultihan ta mo, ang pag-antus nako pag-adto sa mga lagyong sitio nga walay kalsada para matubag ang panginahanglan sa atong mga kaigsoonan (I tell you, I don’t mind the discomfort of bumpy rides in visiting isolated communities just to address the needs of our people),” the second termer governor said.
Jubahib said these crucial interventions freed the province from the clutches of the communist rebels, as it attained zero recruitment rate and less than five percent visibility rate of the NPA.
As a result, Davao del Norte was recently declared as “Insurgency-Free and Ready for Further Development”.
The ballyhooed Kaagapay program benefitted over 1,000 families who increased their income with the 110 metric tons of vegetables that they produced.
Over 12,000 families also gained from the dispersal of more than 50,000 free-range chicken, while 10,676 families more received livelihood assistance worth P45 million.
Among the awards and recognitions received by the province under Jubahib’s watch include 2021 Governor of the Year Award; 2021 Most Liveable and Sustainable Province; 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance; 2019 Most Business-Friendly (MBF) Province in the country; Overall 2nd Most Competitive Province in the Philippines in 2020 and 2021; and, Most Competitive Province in Mindanao in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Towards the end of his speech, Jubahib reiterated his support to the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
“Ang atong administrasyon karon bug-os nga musoporta sa bag-ong gobyerno ni (My administration fully supports the new government of) President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. ug Vice President Inday Sara Duterte,” he assured.-Noel Baguio
