Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa CO-SPONSORSHIP SPEECH Committee Report No. 293 Metropolitan Davao Development Authority

Coordination involves integration. Coordination integrates all diverse interest and efforts of all individuals, and ensures unity of action to achieve the common goals of an organization.1 Nonetheless, coordination is a fundamental problem of public administration and policy.

Good afternoon Mr. President and distinguished colleagues:

It is my honor and privilege to co-sponsor House Bill No. 8930 under Committee Report No. 293, otherwise known as the "Metropolitan Davao Development Authority Act." For the record Mr. President, I also filed a similar measure, Senate Bill No. 2153 which was considered by the Committee in its report.

Not so long ago, Congress passed the law creating the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority or the MMDA through Republic Act No. 7924. One of the objectives of the law is to ensure proper planning, monitoring and coordination within Metro Manila without diminution of the autonomy of local government units concerning purely local matters. With the creation of the MMDA, we have seen notable improvements especially with the delivery of metro-wide services, as highlighted even more during this extraordinary time of pandemic.

House Bill No. 8930, seeks the same objective but this time, for the largest metropolitan area in the southern part of the Philippines, Metro Davao.

Mr. President, in 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority ranked the entire Davao Region as 5th highest per capita Gross

Regional Domestic Product and Gross Regional Domestic Expenditure out of the 17 regions across the country, improving its ranking from 6th in 2019. This, Mr. Chair, despite the adverse economic effects brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Tunay ngang masasabi natin na hindi magpapahuli ang ating mga kababayan sa Mindanao sa pagpapaunlad ng ating ekonomiya. With its rich biodiversity and natural resources which makes the region attractive to investments and development, Mindanao truly is the land of promise.

Mr. President, ang pagsasabatas ng Metropolitan Davao Development Authority Act ay maituturing na pakikiisa sa bayanihan nang pagpapaunlad ng buong rehiyon ng Davao. Bawat lungsod at munisipyo tulong tulong; magkatuwang tungo sa pagpapalago ng ekonomiya ng ating bansa. Tunay ngang masasabi natin hindi na lang "Bayanihan, we heal as one" kung hindi "Bayanihan, we move as one."

Sa ilalim ng MDDA, mas mapagtitibay ang bayanihan sa pagpapaunlad ng rehiyon ng mga Lungsod ng Davao; Lungsod ng Panabo, Tagum at Samal, at Munisipyo ng Carmen sa Davao del Norte; Lungsod ng Digos sa Davao del Sur; Lungsod ng Mati sa Davao Oriental; Munisipyo ng Sta. Cruz, ang aking hometown, Mr. President, Hagonoy, Padada, Malalag in Davao del Sur; Munisipyo ng Maco sa Davao de Oro at Malita sa Davao Occidental.

While every LGU has an independent local autonomy, we emphasize on the importance of having a properly coordinated, if not unified, plans for infrastructure, security and disaster resiliency, waste disposal, traffic, among others. Truly, the alignment of policies, projects and programs will ensure unhampered growth of the entire region, and not only the region's major city. The creation of the MDDA will give rise to

strong coordination in development planning in the region thereby assuring steadfast achievement of sustainable inclusive economic growth. Ultimately, this will redound to the benefit of our national economy.

As the saying goes "without coordination, there can never be progress." Mr. President, let's make it happen not only for my kababayans from Davao region but for the benefit of the entire country may they be from Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao.

Daghang salamat at maayong hapon sa atong tanan, Mr. President!