IS CDO OVERTAKING DAVAO ?

I read this email from a reader with great interest. I think this should serve as a wake-up call and a real challenge to both the private sector and the government. We need to act and move fast!

Dear Ms Jojie Bian,
I'm one of the forumers in SSC or http://www.skyscrapercity.com/. And we have been promoting Davao City - its culture, sites, and business climate. As a forerunner, I have been active with other Philippine forums as well like those of Cagayan de Oro (CDO and Cebu. I'm currently living in Cebu now and working with the call center industry for 2 years now. Before transferring here in Cebu, I have been working with the same company in Makati as well.

I am so pleased with the good news which you have written and posted in http://www.inq7.net/ and http://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/. It's about making Mindanao as an IT Hub.

However, one thing that is my concern though is how other cities are overtaking us now. I'll have to specifically stress out CDO for this matter. Just currently, Ayala did confirm the pursuance of their investment in CDO - which is a development of an Ayala Business Park! How did this happen? Why did Ayala decide to invest in CDO and not in Davao? I thought we are far more advance than CDO? I thought we are the premier city in Mindanao and its de facto capital? In this case, would this mean that CDO has overtaken us? Just as how Ayala became the catalyst of growth here in Cebu and in Makati, for sure this will boost CDO's economy....and where will we be (Davao) at that time?

Also, from your recent article "Mindanao as an IT Hub", you have mentioned about CDO's IT Park..why cant Davao have one? I am sure you are aware why Cebu's ICT industry is so upbeat...one of the major factors is the present of several IT parks and zones.

Madam, I adore your advocation to promote Mindanao. But sometimes I wonder, aren’t we from Davao been extending our help that much to other Mindanao Cities and thus forgot to help our own city first?

CDO has its own IT Park and now a business park! Davao? well we have a lot of plans that remained plans till now. I remember few years back (when i was still 19, now im already 23) I had also read an article written by you about almost the same issue...Making the island as an IT Hub. And there were talks to have the very first IT Park outside Cebu and Manila in Davao....But what happened? CDO has overtaken us.....

There are a lot of plans......the development of Sta Ana Wharf to become somewhat like the Fishermen's wharf in San Francisco, the ICT Park, the business parks, development of PTA Grounds to be like Greenbelt of Makati, the MRT, the coliseums, the Samal - Davao bridge, etc etc....but these till now (after almost 5 years) are still plans.

Madam, I thank God to know a Davaoeña like you whose goal is to promote Davao City. I wish there is something that we (the average Dabawenyos) can do to help. I do not want to wake up one day knowing that CDO has fully overtaken Davao.

From : "shealthiel jech oczon"