DAVAO CITY – In a rare occasion, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio broke bread with the street sweepers and garbage collectors who keep the city streets clean all day.
It was her way of thanking them and other personnel of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) for doing all the dirty job during the city’s successful hosting of Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) meet from February 18 to 23.
Duterte-Carpio said the DAVRAA would not have been successful without the help of the CENRO personnel.
The city mayor ate with them in a boodle fight at the People’s Park on Wednesday lunch. They ate rice, chicken barbeque and roasted beef put on banana leaf.
Duterte-Carpio said she would have given them a gift certificate. “Pero wala na ta gift certificate (But we no longer have gift certificates),” she said.
So, she said she thought of just sharing roasted beef and promised to give gift certificates in December as Christmas presents.
Before the start of the program, a street sweeper, who begged off to give her name, was excited to share food with the mayor.
The mayor also gamely posed for photos or selfie with the workers after the boodle fight.
CENRO is one of the few city government offices which maintains many workers.
The street sweepers work in three shifts – 4 a.m to 9 a.m; 9 a.m to 4 p.m, and 4 p.m to 9 p.m.
CENRO also maintain garbage collectors on shifting hours.
Aside from CENRO, Duterte-Carpio will also treat other groups for their help during the DAVRAA. Among them are the Davao City police, Task Force Davao, and other offices.
She said the city would need their services in the coming months like Davao City’s founding anniversary, Ironman, and the Kadayawan sa Dabaw.
Wednesday’s boodle fight has the help of the Pilipinong may Puso Foundation of Wen Velasco.
Pilipinong may Puso Foundation has been a partner of the city government in some of its projects like the ongoing housing project in Tugbok District. It is a housing project for poor Davaoeños and the rebel returnees. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
