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Mawab senior citizens now recieve P1,000 birthday cash gift 

by Contributor
written by Contributor

MAWAB, Davao de Oro — In a landmark initiative, the local government unit of Mawab has officially implemented a P1,000.00 birthday cash gift for all senior citizens in the municipality.

Under the program, every registered senior citizen in Mawab who celebrates a birthday will receive the cash gift as a gesture of recognition and appreciation from the local government. The initiative marks a significant milestone and reflects the LGU’s commitment to inclusive and people-centered governance.

The birthday cash gift program symbolizes the municipality’s deep respect for the sacrifices and lifelong contributions of senior citizens, acknowledging their role in shaping the community and the future of Mawab.

“This program reflects our belief that our senior citizens deserve not only social services, but dignity, recognition, and joy—especially on their birthdays,” Mawab Mayor Myrill Apit said.

The mayor further emphasized that the program is part of the administration’s broader agenda to strengthen social protection and welfare services for senior citizens in the municipality.

“In Mawab, our lolos and lolas are not only remembered—they are honored,” the mayor added.

The LGU of Mawab remains committed to sustaining programs that promote the welfare, dignity, and well-being of senior citizens as part of its vision for a more compassionate and inclusive community.

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Opinion

ROUGH CUTS | Has the DPWH officially responded?

by Vic Sumalinog
written by Vic Sumalinog

LOCAL officials of Davao City are now alarmed by the rising volume of illicit cigarettes (smuggled) and vape products circulating lately.

Then they must do something about it. If necessary, the local authorities may adopt some drastic measures to ensure that the smuggling activities and the prevalence of vape products are stamped out faster than expected.

Yes, while in the past two or three months when several apprehensions of smugglers and confiscations of the illegal merchandise were made, the increase of this illegal trade is fast ruining the reputation of the city. Imagine Davao being dubbed as the safest destination for visitors and local residents suddenly looked upon as a potential smugglers’ haven!

And is easy access to cigarette products and vape not a threat to the most gullible sector of the city’s population – the youth?

Even the city’s finances could possibly be negatively impacted by the influx of untaxed cigarettes as those who are buying the smuggled products and retailing to distributors and small outlets are not slapped with tax obligations.

Other than that, legitimate cigarette product sales may be adversely affected because they compete with a product that is devoid of taxes paid to the government.

Now is the time for local officials to settle whatever differences they have with the police and work closely with them to address this growing menace to Davao City’s society.

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We remember several months back when First District Councilor Tek Ocampo introduced a resolution inviting officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the City Council session. He wanted the DPWH to explain to the local legislative body why still undamaged concrete roads are overlaid with asphalt. He also wanted the councilors to be enlightened as to why some portions of cemented roads are deliberately destroyed despite their apparent good condition and then repaired. 

We, and many other Davao residents, are interested to know the explanation of the DPWH, and what the agency intends to do to lessen the risks brought about by the asphalt overlaying and the sectional destruction of some roads to give way to repair work.

Personally, we had a very bad experience while driving our vehicle along a stretch of the C.P. Garcia Diversion highway from the still-unfinished Ma-a Flyover up to the junction of San Rafael-Ma-a bypass.

During that time, the highway stretch was newly overlaid with asphalt. But the whole of that week the city experienced very hot weather and the asphalt overlay melted. The result? It became corrugated and posed a risk to the motorists taking the route, including this writer.

Our question to the Honorable Tek: Has the DPWH officially submitted a report to the City Council on what it has done with regard to the complained issues?

We are certain that the national government agency concerned knows that the budget for the asphalt overlaying project and the destruction/repair of concrete roads that are still in very good condition could have been used for new projects like farm-to-market roads, foot bridges in highland villages separated by deep ravines, or even deep well pumps in rural areas badly in need of potable water.

But no, the DPWH prefers to fund and implement easy-to-access projects like overlaying asphalt on concreted roads within the perimeters of the city’s business district.

Meanwhile, residents of sitios like Pigalongan in Marilog District have to make a bamboo raft that they pull back and forth to cross the treacherous Davao River using pulleys to load their farm produce to the market as well as their purchased household goods.

Before the era of the single motorbike or “habal-habal” as taxis in the mountain, Sitio Pigalongan is a seven-hour walk from Barangay Salumay at the highway going to Bukidnon.

We wonder if any one city or DPWH official has gone to the area in the course of the planning for the city’s physical development.

But will there be any official of the DPWH of the city willing to go to Pigalongan when it appears that no one has even gone to the Catalunan Grande-Tacunan connector that has remained without the needed approach for the longest time.

Its location is roughly 11 kilometers away from the city’s down offices of the Davao LGU and the DPWH.

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Opinion

ROUGH CUTS | Lucky Davao City’s way of thanking

by Vic Sumalinog
written by Vic Sumalinog

FORMER Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has filed a plunder case with the Ombudsman against former President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Bong Go, and the latter’s father and brother of CLTG Construction firm.

Trillanes could have fully convinced himself that the former President, his man Friday senator Go, and his family amassed over P50 million from the various transactions entered into by the Go firm with the government during Duterte’s term as president.

It is our take that this case could be an acid test of newly installed Ombudsman Crispin “Boying” Remulla. No, not whether he will make a serious probe into the charge but on whether or not he will conduct his prosecution in the fairest of manner.

It is only by being fair can he prove that his appointment as Ombudsman is not intended to make him a weapon of destruction for the political enemies of the appointing authority.

Indeed, this Trillanes charge of plunder is worth the citizens’ wait.

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We could not help but appreciate with all sincerity the generosity of the local government of Davao City. Through its officials, from the mayor to the members of the city council, the LGU of Davao City was quick to donate financial assistance to the Province of Cebu, the City of Bogo, and nine other nearby municipalities.

The cash assistance, we have no doubt, can very well help the local governments get their feet back after the devastating 6.9 magnitude earthquake leveled houses and private infrastructures in their areas.

Indeed, it is the right thing to do especially for a city that has been lucky enough to escape devastating calamities in the past and until now. And, if at all certain disasters hit Davao City, so far it is the milder version of say, earthquakes, floods, and landslides.

The latest earthquake that brought destruction to many residential, office, and school buildings in Manay, Tarragona, Caraga and slightly in Mati City, Davao Oriental did not do serious damage to buildings and other structures in the City of Davao.

Of course, the 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Davao City resulted to the disruption of some business operations and week-long stoppage of classes, for the authorities to check the integrity of buildings.

But so far, Davao City seems to have all the luck on its side. And hopefully, this luck will continue to be enjoyed by the Davaoeños for the longest time still.

Therefore, it is just normal to show gratitude to the One up there by helping those unlucky local governments cope with the misfortune.

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Thousands upon thousands of activists, political oppositionists, labor, businessmen, retired military and police officials, churchmen, and students are doing protest rallies in the past few weeks. The protesters were all demanding a stop to corruption, accountability of those tasked to implement government projects, and fast prosecution of those involved in the heist of government money.

Frankly, we believe that it is easier said (shouted if you want) than done. No, we do not think that what the protesters want cannot really be done.

The thing is, the system in the government we have now is the one making it much more difficult to do what the protesters wanted. Our government’s judicial system, as guaranteed by our Constitution, allows everyone accused of wrongdoing to use every available legal means to prove his or her innocence.

Add the lawyers who strongly adhered to the dictum that a suspect remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court, and trial of cases becomes an endless battle of mastery in law. In fact, even those who are clearly most guilty can even apply, still under a particular law, to become state protected witness.

Then there are the moneyed accused of certain crimes who, in cooperation with their astute lawyers use every available law that they could invoke just to delay the prosecution of the charges against them. Many thanks to their money of course.

How then will the government and its current leaders comply with the shouted demands for accountability and faster litigation of corruption cases against certain individuals both in government and in the private sector?

And we Filipinos dread so much of even just a thought of having a martial law regime that could be resorted to if only to hasten prosecution of the corrupt in this nation.

What an irony for our country, the people of which so love the various freedoms they are enjoying as guaranteed by the fundamental law, including the freedom to invoke every available law to prove the accused’s innocence of the crime or crimes charge.

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Opinion

ROUGH CUTS | Grave insult to the people of Manay

by Vic Sumalinog
written by Vic Sumalinog

IN THE case of Davao City, who really issued the suspension of classes as a consequence of the series of earthquakes that hit the Davao Region recently?

Was it the local government, or was it the Department of Education? We are asking the question after we read on a social media a post apparently from the DepEd saying the agency acknowledges the authority of the LGUs to order the suspension of classes if it deems the prevailing situation demands it.

Nonetheless, the agency also requested the LGUs to balance safety of students and their learning in classes. While DepEd acknowledges the importance of caution, it also believes that an “extended suspension of classes can disrupt learning and might affect the students’ development.”

So, we find no need to reiterate our question on who really issued the suspension of classes in Davao City. It is now clear that the local government issued the order of class suspension. After all, the LGU is more knowledgeable of the actual situation after the earthquake hit the area.

But we agree with DepEd that the LGU must find a balance between safety of the students and the need to not disrupt their learning process.

In short the DepEd sees the need for the LGU of Davao City to hasten its assessment of the integrity of the school buildings so that classes can resume without the parents and school authorities fearing for the lives of the students.

And by the way, what is the status of the inspection of the various school buildings in the city as of yesterday? Has the teams organized by the city government to conduct the inspection and assessment completed more than 50% of school edifices? If not, then there might be a need to organize more inspector teams to hasten the job.

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Broadcaster and print media columnist Ramon Tulfo who claimed to have lived in Manay, Davao Oriental, called residents disrespectful after chanting the name of Vice President Sara Duterte while President Marcos was in town for a personal assessment of the damage as result of the earthquake.

We strongly agreed with him. We too, believe that if one’s partisan position in politics does away his or her respect to a person he or she at least respect the position the said person holds. Moreso if that person is the President of the Republic.

In other words, it is also our take that the crowd shouting the VP’s name right at hearing distance of the President should have shown their disdain for the Chief Executive in more appropriate venues.

There is, however, one thing that we would strongly disagree with Mon Tulfo’s actuation. That is, his calling in general terms the people of Manay as “Pusaka, living in the mountains far from civilization…”

Personally, we think it is too much of a disrespect to citizens of this country who just happen to live in a rural town of a distant Mindanao province.

Yet, Tulfo seems to pride himself as once having resided in Manay during the assignment of his father in that Eastern Davao Province.

Perhaps it is worth reminding the infamous media personality that most residents of Manay, especially those lording over the politics in that town, are of Luzon descent.

For now, we have no idea how the provincial officials, as well as the congressman of that district where Manay is part, are taking the description of Tulfo on the Manayanons. The Dayanghirangs are from that earthquake-stricken municipality.

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Why are some people in the National Capital Region talking of possibly putting former House Speaker Martin Romualdez under the government’s Witness Protection Program? Is not Romualdez the prime suspect in the massive corruption in government, especially on infrastructure project implementation by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)?

And here come reports of him possibly becoming a protected witness! Against whom, against himself? Whoever bankrolled that crazy idea could have presented to the former speaker a better way out of his bind.

And even if it is assumed that he can meet the requirements of becoming a protected state witness, there must be someone higher than the former speaker that should make him fear for his life.

Meaning, it could not be any one except his cousin President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Unfortunately, the protests held every now and then supposedly intended to denounce corruption and make those involved accountable for their misdeed, to us, are not helping the efforts to stamp out corruption. Instead, it is muddling the issue with the suspects pointing at each other as the main culprit.

All these allow those who are really involved to find ways to downplay their participation in the massive heist of government money. In fact, one major suspect has even claimed to have done a huge sacrifice for the people with his resignation as congressman after being identified as second biggest taker of the demanded bribes.

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