Mayor-elect Baste’s admin off to a challenging start

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 June) – Incoming Vice President Sara Duterte said the administration of Mayor-elect Sebastian “Baste” Duterte is off to a challenging start with prices of basic commodities expected to increase amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

_{VP-elect Sara and Mayor-elect Baste Duterte, during the latter’s oath-taking. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO}

“The start of his term as mayor is quite peculiar,” Duterte said during her program over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Monday.

The increase in the prices of commodities is expected to continue amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine armed conflict, which would further dampen the purchasing power of the Filipino families, she said.

She said that the salaries and wages of ordinary workers may not increase at a level that will help them cope with inflation.

She told her mayor-brother that the Office of the Vice President will be open to provide him support.

“I want to reassure him that my office on July 1 will be available for him if there is anything that he wants to consult on, and to assist him in the delivery of services for our City of Davao,” she said.

Duterte believed that her brother could run the city well as he is not a first-timer as he grew up in a political family and served as vice mayor from 2019 to 2022.

“What Dabawenyos want is very simple – Dabawenyos want a livable city where they can live, work, and play in a peaceful, environment-sustainable, and safe city,” she said.

She hopes the incoming mayor would continue and prioritize those programs that made the city competitive, such as infrastructure, economic development, and good governance.

The 34-year-old mayor-elect, who took his oath at the Sangguniang Panlungsod before Court of Appeals Associate Justice Loida Posadas-Kahulugan on Monday, vowed to prioritize economic recovery and poverty alleviation.

He said he would prioritize food security and agricultural modernization, emphasizing the need for research and innovation to address issues in this sector.

“We will continue to advance the welfare of our local farmers and fisherfolks by providing them with agricultural inputs and technologies to boost their production,” he said.

He added that he would also continue the peace and order programs to ensure “that Dabawenyos can go to work, attend school, roam around the city, and go home to their families safely every day.” (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)