BONTOC, Mtn. Province – The accommodations in the municipality and province were recently organized!
There was no provincial organization before and only Sagada municipality has an existing organization, the Sagada Inns and Homestays Association (SIHA).
Last Tuesday, September 20, 2022, the Provincial Tourism Office convened the representatives of the municipalities to the first organizational meeting at the Pearl Café and Restaurant, Bontoc, Mountain Province.
It was emphasized by the Officer-In-Charge of the Provincial Tourism Office that the meeting was convened to come up with an organization of the accommodations and restaurants in the province for them to be represented in the Provincial Council for Tourism, Culture and the Arts (PCTCA).
Ms. Gwendolyn Gaongen was later elected as the president of the new organization and representatives of the other municipalities were chosen for other positions. Vice President for District 1 is Paulino Tumapang, Vice President for District 11 is Gretchen Madalang
The following were elected as other officers: Secretary is Joy Beryl Yongaan from Besao, Treasurer is Yuri Culalading from Natonin, Auditor is Kenneth Lapon – Paracelis, PRO is Nicole Coriaen from Sadanga. The representaives of ther municipalities to be named later who were not present were designated as assistants.
The name of the organization of this particular sector is the Mountain Province Association of Accommodations and Restaurants (MPAAR).
MEANWHILE, the municipality of Bontoc also organized the municipal aggrupation of the owners of accommodation and restaurants with the name Fontok Association of Accommodation and Restaurants (FAAR).
Paulino Tumapang, Jr. was elected as president by those present who represented their own establishments.
“We appreciate your convening the group, and with the presence of the representative of the Municipal Tourism Office, so we could finally organize ourselves”, he told the Provincial Tourism Officer.
The municipalities represented were Bauko, Besao, Bontoc, Sadanga, Sagada, Natonin, and Paracelis. The others failed to be represented but they were allotted representations in the leadership of the organization. **Roger Sacyaten
