March is the most festive month in Davao City. This “Most Livable” and “Most Peaceful City” in the country is observing its 89th Araw ng Dabaw.

From what was once dubbed the “Killing Fields of the Philippines” during the reign of terror of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its murderous New People’s Army, Davao City is now known worldwide for its stable peace and development. It now ranks ninth among the richest cities in the Philippines and it is inching up.

With a stable peace and a disciplined populace, along with a healthy investment climate, capitalists have poured billions of pesos into various projects in partnership with locals, boosting the city’s economic growth rate to 7.9 percent.

Davao has become the commercial and communications center of Mindanao and the veritable capital city of Southern Philippines. With massive infrastructure projects, construction, transport modernization, agriculture, and now posing as another international trading and tourism hub, Davao City is fast gaining its economic momentum and bonanza.

The steady growth of Davao City was started and driven by the uncompromising leadership of Rodrigo R. Duterte as mayor in 1988.

It was not an easy task.

The judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court are utterly oblivious of the bloody regime of the CPP/NPA, of the separatist fronts, the drug and kidnap-for-ransom syndicates, and the hooliganism that pervaded before Duterte took over.

By the time he left the city to become president of the Philippines, Duterte had decimated the crime syndicates, calmed the separatist rebellion, and instilled discipline, which the populace, weary of the hooliganism, appreciated.

The Duterte brand of leadership was handed down to the next mayor, now Vice President Sara Duterte, and after her to the incumbent Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who piloted the city’s current development.

Under his watch, several mega and multibillion-peso projects were completed.

Among these are the Davao Global Township, Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, and the Poblacion Market Central, a commercial hub blending local tradition with modern retail, art, and gastronomy.

In addition, there is Peaklane, a premium residential condominium with a tropical island theme; Ayala Land Ascenda, a 204-hectare development described as a P10.3-billion mixed-use estate in partnership with Anflocor.

And there is the Davao City Coastal Boulevard, which is considered one of the most beautiful and spectacular coastal roads in the world.

Constructed and funded by China through a grant, it meanders along the long beach line of the city and runs over the Davao River which is spanned by the Bucana Bridge.

Up for completion is a bypass highway featuring the country’s longest mountain tunnel. The highway, along with the coastal boulevard, will cut travel time south and north of Davao City and will relieve the traffic on the city’s main thoroughfares.

These bonanzas are enough reasons for Davaowenyos and the business community to celebrate the 89th Araw ng Dabaw with thanksgiving, as the city continues to be the most peaceful, insurgency-free, and livable place in the Philippines.

Let me conclude by quoting Meta AI on the statement from Malacañang: “The assertion that ‘Davao City is the worst city in the Philippines’ is a subjective political remark made by Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, which sparked debate online.

Objective data from various global and national indices consistently rank Davao City highly for safety, cleanliness, and quality of life in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia.”