Elected village officials here must prioritize the needs of the “poorest of the poor,” advised Mayor Sebastian Duterte during the oath-taking of winners at Davao City Recreation Center on Monday.

“I beg you to prioritize the poor. Let us be selfless and look into the needs of your constituents especially the poor,” he said in his speech before the elected officials of 182 barangays.

Duterte also urged them to forget the disputes from the election and instead make use of their time to address issues confronting their constituents.

“We are thankful that Davao City has zero election-related violence. Do not waste your time listening to the criticism of your opponent’s camp,” Duterte said.

First-time politician Omar Duterte, the newly elected Barangay Buhangin captain, said he will seek guidance from his father, Davao City 2nd District Rep. Paolo Duterte, and his grandfather, former president Rodrigo R. Dutere.

“They advised me to continue programs and projects that would benefit the people of my barangay. We will give them the services that they need,” he added.

Flooding problems

Meanwhile, Roberto Olanolan, Barangay 76-A village chief, noted that his village has always suffered from flooding every time a heavy downpour occurred in the city.

Just last week, the City Disaster Reduction Risk Management Office (CDRRMO) reported that 127 families or 454 individuals in this city were evacuated to safer grounds after floodwaters hit eight villages.

“I pity those who are residing in some areas in the barangay who are always affected by the flooding,” he said, adding that as a solution, he will be focusing on improving their existing drainage system.

“I will check if there is a budget [from previous admin] left,” he said, adding that, if there was no budget left, he would hire people to clean the canal which he coined as “canal brigade.”

For the 2024 budget, he said he would make use of the Barangay Development Fund for the drainage system.

Meanwhile, Barangay Lasang village chair Allan Simo-ag said he would also devote his time to addressing the flooding in his area.

“One of my priorities is to improve our drainage system. Because there are developments in the barangay, we need to address its improvement,” he added.

For Duterte, the Buhangin village chairperson, focus should be given to the sewage system, noting that this has been a problem when water overflows during the rainy season. (PNA)