By Anthony A. Araos
Mountain Angnge is still a little known destination in Ifugao. So where is exactly this towering place? It is located at Aguinaldo town.
It is a great place to enjoy the wonders of nature and rejuvenate while being not too far away from the other destinations in the town.
Mountain Angnge rises well high above sea level and towers above a stretch of scenic land. To be more precise, at its highest point one gets a fantastic view of the Cagayan Valley. You’ll easily feel the cloudy condition at its peak.
Don’t go to Mountain Angnge on your own. Bring your friends too. Savor crisp cool mountain air. Enjoy the scenes of wonderful vistas as well as the rustic charm of the mountainside as you and your close friends spend memorable times together.
It is, nonetheless, important to note that, Mountain Angnge like other sites is unspoiled, and untouched. This site, just like the other ones, lies in rough, rugged and mostly undeveloped terrain.
Thus, visitors are attracted to Aguinaldo for this purpose and many other reasons. The town’s name was derived from the late President Emilio Aguinaldo who passed by and made a stop-over camp at barangay Bunhian. Little wonder, the town is rich in history and culture.
A non-air conditioned mini-bus departs daily (except Saturday and Sunday) from Lagawe at about 2 p.m. Travel time is about five hours.
-o0o-
Whenever Aguinaldo Vice Mayor Tony Chilagan chooses to develop a new destination through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program, it is prayed that the site picked will be visited by more tourists. This is not always easy. His mission is to maximize the utilization of its potentials.
In any business venture, one may be treading in unchartered waters. Planning is a wise option. There are risks. But, the risks are not insurmountable. It is logically defensible.
For instance, Mountain Angnge’s attractions include trekking amidst natural trails. Henceforth, focus is on the development of trekking ways.
Vice Mayor Chilagan should also look into transforming various places into community-based tourist attraction sites. There is so much for local and foreign tourists to learn from the indigenous people’s unique way of life by observing their arts and crafts.
-o0o-
I consider the attendance of Vice Mayor Chilagan at the just-concluded “Luzon Conference on Public-Private Partnership for the People Initiative for Local Governments (Cluster 1)” at Venus Parkview Hotel in Baguio City as a major step in preparing Aguinaldo’s elevation into a first-class municipality at the soonest time. It will reinvigorate his commitment to sustainable development.
Throughout the one-day orientation for DILG and local government units of Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), he and municipal assessor Marceline Padchiw were able to participate, contribute and benefit from these activities. It is the first time they have taken such a pro-active role in the PPP scheme. However, this is merely just the beginning. Necessary planning and lots of paper works are needed to bring the PPP program potentials for Aguinaldo’s overall development program (whether in agriculture, tourism or trade) to fruition. This public-private interaction should therefore be given full acknowledgement and support by the Sangguniang Bayan for a project of such kind to get off the ground and ultimately spin-off growth and prosperity.
I told Vice Mayor Chilagan: “In assessing the burden and difficulties of implementing any well-meaning project for Aguinaldo, when someone can really help advance, improve and make sure the objectives are realized, the the municipal government should look not far away. The solution is the PPP scheme.
Do you want to modernize the Ifugao landscape? The solution is the PPP scheme.
With various government infrastructure projects finally getting adequate funds from the private sector, economic activities in Ifugao will get a significant boost.
Mega or small-sized projects are all geared towards preparing Ifugao to be more responsive to the needs of the people, most especially the poor, and businessmen.”
Isn’t it high time for Governor Pedro Mayam-o to go full throttle?
I’m in a position and ready to help Vice Mayor Chilagan on this score. For starters, I’m proposing that the Office of the Vice Mayor sponsor an Indigenous People (IP) Forum and Cultural Night. I’m also forwarding an eco-tourism plan to his office.
Through this observation, it is hoped and prayed to lay down a clear roadmap that will make tourism relevant and helpful to this fast-emerging town and its people.
-o0o-
Looking ahead, I wish that Vice Mayor Chilagan continues to be an inspiration to his constituents. Aguinaldo stands to benefit from his exemplary leadership and good deeds.
Vice Mayor Chilagan is also known for putting the people’s well-being first, with his character and integrity beyond reproach.
He also works vigorously with all sectors to build a society that is truly inclusive and burden-free.
Aguinaldo is so privileged to have a hardworking, dedicated and, above all, approachable public servant in the person of Vice Mayor Tony Chilagan.
It only stands to reason that, albeit the fact that the 2019 polls is still relatively far away, I dare say that Ifugao needs more leaders like him. God bless and Mabuhay! I wish Vice Mayor Tony Chilagan all the success for many more years to come.
-o0o-
Lately, many are asking me if the scheduled barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls are to be held at all in October of this year? Well, here’s my answer: In the absence of a law postponing said polls, it is a green light!
Postponing the elections would need the imprimatur of Congress.
The job of the Comelec (Commission on Elections) is to hold elections as provided by law. Only Congress can decide to postpone elections.
To my mind, the postponement is unconstitutional since it would give incumbent officials an extension of their term of office without a mandate from the people. Under existing laws, Comelec will only postpone the election if there are calamities, terrorism or destruction of election records, and in such eventuality, the election shall push through immediately after the postponement.
-o0o-
It was not all that long ago when healthy food supplements were readily available in malls.
Not anymore.
Today, Hearty Mix offers a wide array of healthier food supplements for people of various ages. Fortunately, I saw one of its booths at City Mall in Tarlac City.
Its owner and general manager Genevieve “Gen” Gomez said promotional efforts in Central and Northern Luzon are quite excellent, as her firm is positioning these key regions of the main island of Luzon as vital areas for marketing her products.
The continued participation of business entities, like Hearty Mix, will be essential to sustaining a vibrant economy in the abovementioned regions and allow Philippine-made goods enter the ASEAN market. I do hope that the Hearty Mix, on the occasion of its first anniversary (just recently), will be more committed in creating quality-products and better services that would ultimately ensure the maintenance of a healthy citizenry. Congratulations and Mabuhay!
-o0o-
For our food delights corner: Let’s have seafood lasagna this time. Make way to serve paella rice on the side. It’s always a great meal with mushroom and quail eggs soup.
For appetizers, you may have corn chips with cheese sauce. For desserts, come up with ube cake and leche flan. Make sure you don’t miss the ube cake, it is really superb! Chilled mango or orange juice completes this great meal.
You and your loved ones can also enjoy several other cuisines based on your everyday necessities. Every day is good food delight.
-o0o-
Life’s Oddities: Only in Ifugao! During a heavy downpour in Lagawe, on my way to buy some canned goods I saw two water delivery trucks answering the calls of their customers. Well, it’s the rainy season. Who is in-charge of this concern? Answer: Lagawe Water District. Some people are calling it Lagawe Waterless District.
In the morning of the said day, it was sunny and hot. No rains or lightning or thunders. Well, there was no electricity for nearly an hour. Who is in-charge of this concern? Answer: Ifugao Electric Cooperative or IFELCO, for short. Others call it I-fail-co.
-o0o-
The Rabies Prevention and Control Program Advocacy meeting took place recently at Lagawe.
At the open forum portion, I raised the need to work for a higher budget for the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) for 2018 to protect the people and improve the living conditions of its personnel and all others involved in the anti-rabies drive.
A bigger budget would certainly help the PVO fulfill its commitment to safeguard the people’s welfare through the full implementation of programs anchored on broadened information campaign approach.
Likewise, the main challenge is to hire more employees at the said office to augment its undermanned staff. I also see the urgency of providing hazard and subsistence pay for others who are assisting in the anti-rabies vaccination drive such as Barangay Health Workers.
I, therefore, implore the good wisdom of Governor Pedro Mayam-o, who attended the program briefly and didn’t speak to a sparse crowd, to support this proposal.
The PVO has always been at the forefront advocacies and initiatives that push for protecting the people from animal bites. The people could be also indebted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for acting on this view in the affirmative way.
It’s so nice to learn a lot of insights shared by Dr. Roland Pila, Dr. Priscilla Pagada and the other speakers of the said activity.
-o0o-
Finally, some thoughts for our readers: “Defend those who are absent.” My all-time favorite thought since my high school days.
“I am Yahweh, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Ex 20:1-17
“The Philippine economy will also remain marked by wide inequalities of income, and the disparity between the richest and poorest households will stay particularly acute. Consequently, large number of Filipinos will continue to live in poverty.” A report of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2015 **
