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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Mindanao devider Davao City gov't completes inventory of properties

Davao City gov't completes inventory of properties

Published Jan 6, 2026 09:52 pm
DAVAO CITY – The Davao City Council is intensifying efforts to fully utilize city-owned properties, with plans to recover untitled lands and identify government-use sites for schools, public markets, infirmaries, and police outposts.
In Tuesday’s Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos media forum at the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Committee on Government Properties chairperson Councilor J. Melchor Quitain Jr. said they completed an updated inventory of all city-owned properties last year.
The Task Force on the Inventory of Real Properties of the City Government of Davao, led by lawyer Francis Fernandez, completed the comprehensive inventory of the properties following a series of committee hearings.
Quitain said the committee has requested the City Planning and Development Office to provide an update on the status of properties that are suitable for government utilization, such as schools, infirmaries, public markets, and police outposts.
The councilor, who is also a lawyer, noted that while the city has an extensive list of properties, a significant portion of these properties are not yet officially titled in the city’s name due to incomplete documentation.
“We will coordinate with the task force or the REPTAF to recover, at a minimum, one-fourth of the properties that should be titled in Davao City’s name,” Quitain said, adding that every councilor is entitled to or is allowed to get a copy of the list from REPTAF.
He said the committee is inviting suggestions from other offices and council members on how to utilize the properties effectively, including addressing the city’s ongoing shortage of office infrastructure and parking spaces, with available inventory.
Quitain said the comprehensive inventory of the properties includes maps similar to a Google map of the Davao City-owned properties, enabling officials to identify the exact locations of these assets.
The councilor clarified that the city is not short on properties. He emphasized that his committee aims to fully utilize Davao City’s resources in 2026 while improving services and facilities for government operations and the public.
Meanwhile, the Davao City Council is willing to amend the city’s long-standing anti-firecracker ordinance but emphasized that any changes will await direction from the executive branch.
Quitain and Councilors Danilo Dayanghirang and Diosdado Mahipus Jr. stressed that the council will not act independently on the matter.
Dayanghirang, chairperson of the Committee on Finance, said potential revisions should reflect the wisdom of the executive and noted that governance policies must evolve. “There is no permanent governance. Everything must learn to adapt.”
One proposal under discussion is the potential use of the Davao City Coastal Road, particularly Bucana Bridge, as a venue for a regulated public fireworks display, should policy adjustments be made.
This amid calls from some residents here for a safer, organized alternative to the use of private firecrackers, which have historically been associated with injuries, fires, and environmental hazards.
Davao City’s anti-firecracker ordinance, formalized in 2002 under City Ordinance No. 060-02 and approved by then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, prohibits the manufacture, sale, distribution, possession, and use of firecrackers across the city.
The ordinance aims to ensure public safety, peace, and order. City officials report that the law has been strictly enforced annually, with violators facing fines and possible imprisonment should they be caught selling, possessing, or using firecrackers.
The zero-tolerance policy during peak holiday seasons has contributed to historically low firecracker-related injuries and fatalities, a result frequently cited by local health and safety authorities as evidence of the ordinance’s effectiveness.
Despite its proven success in reducing injuries and accidents, some community groups and residents are advocating for the allowance of a single, professionally managed fireworks display each year.
Dayanghirang reiterated that while the council is open to discussions, any move to amend the ordinance must be clearly supported and led by the executive branch. He said for now, the total ban remains in effect.

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Davao City Councilor J. Melchor Quitain Jr.
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