The Metro Davao Development Coordinating Committee (MDDCC) convened for its 2^nd quarter CY 2021 meeting on May 27, 2021 via Zoom, which was presided by Davao City Mayor and MDDCC Chairperson Sara Z. Duterte.

The Committee was presented with the Updates on the Creation of the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA) by NEDA Region XI Director and RDC XI Vice-Chairperson Maria Lourdes D. Lim. House Bill No. 8930 which proposed for the creation of the MDDA and authored by Davao City 3^rd District Congressional Representative Isidro T. Ungab was approved March 25, 2021. Thereafter, the Regional Development Council (RDC) XI Advisory Committee requested Sen. Christopher Lawrence T. Go and Sen. Ronald M. dela Rosa to sponsor the Senate version of House Bill No. 8930 through Resolution No. 2 s. of 2021. On May 21, 2021, Sen.Christopher Lawrence T. Go filed Senate Bill No. 2157 creating the MDDA. To reinforce this initiative, the MDDCC passed a Resolution requesting RDC XI to support the passage of Senate Bill No. 2157.

The updates on the Master Plan proposals relative to the development of Metro Davao were also presented to the Committee by the NEDA XI OIC-Assistant Regional Director Emily Jeanette R. Salvado. The said Master Plan proposals are in various stages of development, viz: a) possible fund sources for the proposals on the Metro Davao Comprehensive and Sustainable Urban Master Plan and the Metro Davao Public Safety and Security Master Plan are being determined; b) the Metro Davao Public Transport and Traffic Management Master Plan is currently undergoing the bidding process; and c) the proposals for the Metro Davao Sewerage and Septage Master Plan, and the Strategic and Innovative Solid Waste Management (SWM) Master Plan had been subjected to the preliminary scoping of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center.

PPP Center Deputy Executive Director Mia Mary Sebastian presented the various funding options for the Davao Region Master Plan proposals. She suggested that the Master Plans may be supported through the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) managed by the PPP Center, subject to the following conditions: 1) the SWM Master Plan may be repackaged such that it incorporates the Davao City Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Project as a component, and 2) the Sewerage and Septage Master Plan has to identify a specific project. Executive Director Sebastian also presented the application process, requirements and timelines in availing the PDMF support, with the technical assistance of the PPP Center. Relatedly, DENR Region XI Director Fidel Evasco Bagani informed the Committee that the Department of Finance has approved the feasibility study for the Davao City WTE Project. As an offshoot to the discussions, the Committee passed a Resolution requesting RDC XI to support the availment of the PDMF for the formulation of the Metro Davao SWM Master Plan.

– Pamela N. Yparraguirre, NEDA XI