“House Bill 8930, An Act Creating the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA), Defining Its Powers and Functions, and Providing Funds Therefor” was approved on the Third and Final Reading at the Plenary Session of the House of Representatives on March 25, 2021.

Institutionalizing the policy on national dispersion through regional agglomeration to revitalize large cities and eventually stir them to expand its physical area for planning, as espoused in the National Spatial Strategy (NSS), the creation of the Metropolitan Davao was specifically cited in the Updated Philippine Development Plan (PDP), 2017-2022 and Davao Regional Development Plan (DRDP), 2017-2022 Midterm Update as one of the three Metropolitan Areas to be pursued in the current planning period, besides Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

Principal Author Cong. Isidro T. Ungab of 3rd Congressional District, Davao City presented, for approval, the House Bill No. 8930 during the 18th Congress 2nd Regular Session. The creation of the MDDA shall provide a metropolitan level management, and to permanently govern the affairs of Metropolitan Davao. It shall also perform planning, implementation, monitoring and coordinative functions and exercise regulatory and supervisory authority over the delivery of area-wide services with Metropolitan Davao.

The MDDA shall have jurisdiction over the core LGUs, namely, cities of Panabo, Tagum and Island Garden City of Samal (IGACoS) in Davao del Norte; Digos in Davao del Sur; and highly urbanized City of Davao; and the municipalities of Carmen in Davao del Norte, and Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur, while the City of Mati in Davao Oriental, and the municipalities of Maco in Davao de Oro, and Malita in Davao Occidental are its annex LGUs.

The Bill is one of the initiatives of the Metropolitan Davao Development Coordinating Committee (MDDCC), a special committee under the Regional Development Council (RDC) XI, is under the leadership of Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte.

House Bill No. 8930 is co-authored by Representatives Ruwel Peter S. Gonzaga, Manuel ‘Way Kurat” E. Zamora, Claudine Diana D. Bauitista, Vincent J. Garcia, Paolo Z. Duterte, Sandro L. Gonzalez, Alan ‘Aldu” Dujali, Joy Myra S. Tambunting, Joel Mayo Z. Almario, Eric L. Olivares, Noel L. Villanueva, Eric Go. Yap, Datu Roonie Q. Sinsuat Sr., Jose Enrique “Joet” S. Garcia III, Geraldine B. Roman, Lorna P. Bandigan-Bautista, Sergio C. Dagooc, Teodorico T. Haresco Jr., Rowena Niña O. Taduran, and Greg G. Gasataya.