This early, Congressman-elect Atty. Maximo “Maxi” Y. Dalog Jr. is already preparing to competently represent the people of the lone district of Mountain Province in the Halls of Congress for the next three years. His fresh term will formally start on July 1, 2019, which will also be the opening of the 18th Congress ending on June 30, 2022.
Earlier, Dalog won the congressional battle winning with a tremendous and historical margin of almost eight thousand votes against his closest rival, outgoing Mayor Avelino Amangyen of Paracelis municipality. He will succeed the post vacated by his father, the late Governor and Congressman Maximo B. Dalog, Sr. who died midway through his third and final term. The death of the former leader was followed the appointment of Kalinga representative Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang as legislative caretaker until June 30, 2019.
In an interview, Dalog Jr. said he wishes to continue the legacy of the family patriarch coupled and guided by the prayer of the people of Mountain Province: “By the grace of Almighty God, Gawis ay Mountain Province!”
In thanking his supporters and the electorate of the province, he assured a public service of honesty and sincerity, peace and reconciliation, healing and unity. “We shall reach out to everyone, whether opponent or friend, if only to guarantee a productive public service and a sustained development in favor of our constituents here in Mountain Province,” he said.
Further, the incoming lawmaker expressed his acknowledgment to the Creator and congratulated the people who have been supportive of him during the campaign saying, “To God be all the Glory! We are deeply awed by the overwhelming support, the outpouring of help, love and most of all by your prayers that were beyond our expectations. We have said before that win or lose we are always here to offer our services. You all showed your unity over our candidacy, and for that, we are forever grateful. From my family to yours, please accept our warmest gratitude. Palalo ay iyaman kendakayo amin… We have all won by The Grace of the Almighty God. Balligi tau amin daytoy. Congratulations to all of us.”
In Congress, he aims to carry on and put up substantial legislations for Mountain Province especially the implementation of meaasures that have already been approved into law like the increase of bed capacity of the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital from 100 to 200 beds, the prohibition of collection of fees for the use of sanitary toilets and service facilities in bus stops, the conversion of the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College into a full-fledged state university, and the like.
Aside from being a lawyer by profession, Dalog Jr. is a Certified Public Accountant and served the Department of Agriculture Cordillera Regional Office and the Department of Agragrian Reform- Mountain Province respectively before he decided to run for public office. On July 1, he will take his oath of office as representative of Mountain Province’s lone district joining other elected congressional officials from the Cordillera Administrative Region namely: Allen Jesse Mangaoang of Kalinga, Mark Go of Baguio City, Nestor Fongwan of Benguet,, JB Bernos of Abra, Elias Bulut Jr. of Apayao and Solomon Chungalao of Ifugao. **Epifano Agbulos
