Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has filed Senate Bill (SB) 2157 creating the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA) which seeks to centralize and oversee the development efforts and initiatives in the city of Davao and other neighboring local government units (LGUs) in Davao region.

Go, chairman of the Senate health and demography committee, hails from Davao City and served as aide of then Davao City mayor President Rodrigo Duterte for more than 20 years.

In the explanatory note of his bill, Go, said that the fast urbanization, increasing population and the interdependence among Davao City and nearby LGUs necessitate an efficient system of urban infrastructure, facilities and services to cope with the demands of increasing residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional activities.

Go cited Section 13, Article X of the 1987 Constitution which states that “local government units may group themselves, consolidate or coordinate their efforts, services, and resources for purposes commonly beneficial to them in accordance with law.”

Further rationalizing the need for the measure, he also noted that the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 adopts the policy of "national dispersion through regional agglomeration" to strengthen cities and stimulate them to expand their physical areas for planning.

Under the bill, MDDA shall have jurisdiction over the cities of Panabo, Tagum, and the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte; Digos in Davao del Sur; Mati in Davao Oriental; and Davao City. The municipalities included are Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur; Carmen in Davao del Norte; Maco in Davao de Oro; and Malita in Davao Occidental.

“The services of the MDDA are delivered across boundaries to multiple and often interdependent political entities whose activities impact each other significantly, and entail huge expenditures such that it would not be viable for said services to be provided by the individual LGUs,” Go said.

MDDA operations shall cover development planning, transport management, solid waste disposal and management, urban zoning, land use planning, shelter services, health and sanitation, as well as public safety.

The governing board and policy-making body of the proposed authority shall be the Metropolitan Davao Development Council, which shall be composed of the chairperson of the Regional Development Council, Region XI; the governors of the five provinces, six city mayors, and four municipal mayors.

The MDDA is also tasked to consult, coordinate, and work closely with the LGUs, the Regional Development Council of Region XI, national government agencies, people’s organizations, non-government organizations, and the private sector operating in Metropolitan Davao.

In coordination with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Finance (DOF), the MDDA can also interface with foreign assistance agencies to obtain financing support, grants and donations in support of its programs and projects.

“Dahil sa mabilis na paglago ng ekonomiya ng Davao City at karatig-LGUs nito, panahon na po upang magkaroon doon ng isang sentralisadong ahensya na siyang magbibigay ng iisang direksyon at magsisilbing gabay sa urban planning ng mga lugar na ito (Due to the fast growing economy of Davao City and its neighboring LGUs, it is time to have a centralized agency there that will give a single direction and will serve guidance in urban planning of these places),” Go said.

“Kaya naman, hinihikayat ko ang aking kapwa mambabatas na suportahan ang panukala nating ito (Because of this, I am appealing to my fellow legislators to support this proposal of ours),” he added.

Prior to the pandemic, the Davao Region’s gross regional domestic product grew by seven percent in 2019 according to the data from the Philippines Statistics Authority. The region also accounts for 4.7 percent of the country’s entire GDP.

To promote Davao’s economy, Go also co-authored SB 1741, or “An Act Declaring the City of Davao as the Cacao and Chocolate Capital of the Philippines”, which seeks to further enhance the productivity of the Philippine cacao industry by recognizing the status of Davao as the country’s biggest producer of cacao.