THE DAVAO City government has directed the creation of an inter-agency body that will address issues on the resettlement of affected residents relating to two major transportation projects, the Mindanao railway and the High Priority Bus System Project (HPBS).

“In order to ensure the successful integration and effective management of the resettlement aspects of HPBS and MRP (Mindanao Railway Project), there is a need to formulate a Local Inter-agency Committee for Resettlement to properly manage and coordinate the concerns pertaining this aspect across all agencies,” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said in a statement on Tuesday.

The mayor recently signed Executive Order 56-2021 for the establishment of the body, which will be composed of representatives from the local government and national agencies.

Under the executive order, the mayor will be the committee chair with the Department of Transportation’s Davao region head as co-chair.

Ms. Carpio also directed officials of all affected barangays to provide full cooperation to ensure “the least amount of inconvenience to the public.”

NORDECO
In another development in the region, the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Nordeco), formerly Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative, is eyeing to energize 45 communities known as puroks or sitio this year through the national government’s Sitio Electrification Program (SEP).

Nordeco, in a statement, said it was able to roll out power supply to 462 sitios last year despite financial difficulties due to the pandemic.

“Although we are struggling financially due to the pandemic, the SEP program has been given a share from the national budget where we have an allocation of P90 million and 45 sitios will benefit from it,” the electric cooperative said. — Maya M. Padillo

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