NEOPHYTE members of the 21st City Council took their oath on Tuesday as chairs of their respective committees.
While newbies in lawmaking, they were elected to lead the committees previously held by their predecessor relatives from the 20th City Council.
Doce Apostol will chair the franchises and public utilities committee, which was previously held by his brother, former councilor Dante Apostol.
In his inaugural speech, Doce, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Management and former barangay chairman of Panacan from 2018 to 2025, said he will follow the leadership of his late father Fortunato Apostol Sr., a former barangay captain, and appointed city councilor and brother Dante.
“Sa tanan hagit sa akong kinabuhi, ang pag pangga sa akong pamilya, ug ang pagsalig sa mga katawhan sa Barangay Panacan…labi na sa segundo distrito, maoy nagpabilin nakong kusog ug inspirasyon,” he said.
In an earlier interview with Doce after the proclamation on May 14, he said he will focus on addressing economic concerns of all sectors, but stressed he will approve everything in the plenary as long as in line with the Duterte programs.
During his stint in the 19th City Council, former councilor Dante Apostol pushed for PUV routes in the city’s bypass roads and ancillary roads to decongest traffic in main roads.
Doce will handle the pending Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association applications for routes and extension of routes, which will be a challenge pending the implementation of the High Priority Bus System.
Meanwhile, Jopet Baluran, a registered nurse and a law student, will chair the transportation and communication committee, which was chaired by his father, former councilor Conrado Baluran.
In his inaugural speech, Jopet said he will continue the work of his father for the past 18 years.
“I will give my full support to acting-mayor Baste Duterte and fully cooperate with the leadership of the City Council in building Davao City, a home not only child-friendly, but friendly to all people who respect, and uphold justice, and abide by the law,” he stressed.
Jopet will be facing challenges in the city’s evolving road conditions, including the traffic congestion and the city’s future public transportation trajectory.
His father, Conrado, openly lambasted TomTom Traffic Index survey, which placed Davao City as the 8th most heavily congested city worldwide.
Councilor Ragde Ibuyan, a certified public accountant, will handle the Government Enterprises and Privatization, chaired by former councilor Edgar Ibuyan, his brother.
Ibuyan said in his inaugural speech that he will push programs aiming to increase the economic self-reliance of the city down to the local level.
“We will strive to uphold due diligence in every endeavor, in every review, and in every task that we do. We will make sure that public, private partnerships are also prioritized,” he said.
To name a few, Ragde will be confronted with the challenges in the administration of the city’s public markets and local economic development.
