Questions have surfaced in Davao Occidental over differing accounts related to a 2021 barangay resolution that supported the realignment of a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) farm-to-market road (FMR) project in Barangay Little Baguio.
Barangay Resolution No. 5, Series of 2021, signed by the barangay council and attested by the barangay secretary, states that the realignment was endorsed “due to legal and technical constraints, and in consideration of the greater public benefit and accessibility” of an alternative route. The document notes that the original alignment would have passed through privately owned properties without right-of-way clearance or entry permits, creating potential legal impediments and delays.
According to the resolution, the barangay council, working with DPWH technical personnel, identified an alternative route described as legally accessible and geotechnically suitable. The measure, signed by Barangay Captain Ferdinand D. San as presiding officer, says the new alignment was “environmentally sound, socially acceptable,” and conducive to smoother implementation.
In 2025, separate reports and accounts from community sources claim that Captain San later executed an affidavit describing the FMR as unfinished. Those sources allege that pressure may have influenced that statement. These claims have not been independently verified. As of this writing, there is no official finding that coercion occurred, and the parties concerned have not publicly provided full documentation to reconcile the differing accounts.
Some residents and community sources contend that references to an “unfinished” road could pertain to the earlier, discarded alignment rather than the realigned route cited in the 2021 resolution. This interpretation has not been formally confirmed by DPWH or the provincial government.
The situation has prompted calls from civil society groups and local observers for clearer, public updates from DPWH and the Davao Occidental Provincial Government on the project’s status, scope, and fund utilization. They also urge that any inquiries respect due process and the independence of barangay officials.
The 2021 resolution remains an on-record document reflecting the barangay council’s position at that time. Whether later statements by local officials conflict with that position—and for what reasons—has yet to be clarified through official channels.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publication or its editors.
