The Regional Development Council (RDC) XI approved the CY 2020 Davao Regional Development Report (DRDR) during its 1st Quarter CY 2021 Full Council Meeting on March 9, 2021. The DRDR is a major output of the RDC XI, which is an evidence-based annual assessment report of the Region’s performance in CY 2020, based on the development targets embodied in the Davao Regional Development Plan (DRDP), 2017-2022 Midterm Update.
This Report covered the year’s socioeconomic performance vis-à-vis targets through the indicators in the Davao Region Development Plans Results Matrix for CY 2020. The challenges, issues and concerns were also cited for the major sectors in the Region, which serve as basis in crafting appropriate policy recommendations, and recalibrate or refocus priorities, particularly for economic recovery and resiliency amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, notable achievements for the infrastructure, social and security sectors include the following: a) completion of 134 projects amounting to P9.6 billion. Majority of these projects include the construction, improvement and repair of existing roads. Some of the major completed projects include the Tagum Bulk Water Supply, the Panabo Flyover, and the Energy Transmission Projects in Davao City (Toril to Bunawan) and Davao del Sur (Matanao to Toril); b) reduction in violent incidents involving the Community Terrorist Groups (CTGs); c) High crime solution efficiency (CSE) rate at 87.4%; and c) significant reduction in the infant and maternal mortality rates to only 5 deaths per 1,000 live births and 33 deaths per 1,000 live births, from targets of 25 and 70, respectively; and d) sustained provision of social protection services to senior citizens and children in terms of pension and supplemental feeding benefits.
On the other hand, the imposition of the community quarantine nationwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the performance of the agriculture, industry, and services sectors, with the tourism sub-sector being the most adversely affected by the pandemic.
Despite this, given that 54% of indicators tracked by Davao Region were on track in 2020, Davao Region remained resilient during the pandemic. – Pamela N. Yparraguirre, NEDA XI