BONTOC, Mtn. Provinces – The provincial government has two distinct logos and it confuses agencies on which one to use.
Solving this scenario is the objective of the proponents who proposed that the Sangguniang Palalawigan come up with a legislative measure to combine the two into one or just come up with one provincial logo
This also causes concerns on which is the official logo. The old one has resolutions to support it but is not being used while the new one has no documentation but is currently being used.
The new logo is being used in stationaries, tarpaulins, and signages of the provincial government while the old one is being used by the national line agencies.
The Philippines National Police in the province highlighted this concern when it brought the matter to the attention of the Provincial Tourism Office.
PSI Faith Ayan, personnel at the Provincial Police Office in the province, related how they encountered problems when they tried to use the new logo. They were allegedly told to use the old one as it is still recognized by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
This led this writer last year to seek legislative action on the part of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan through Vice Governor Francis Tauli. In a letter dated January 30, 2018, the members of the Sanggunian were sought to clarify this matter and take legislative action.
There being no legislative measure to speak of, again the proposal was revived in the current 10th Sangguniang Panlalawigan hoping that it would finally be acted upon.
In a letter to the honorable members through Vice Governor Francis Tauli, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan was asked to consider the matter it being of prime importance to the province.
It was explained that the old provincial logo was sanctioned through Resolution No. 155 passed in September 1970 and amended by Resolution No. 440 enacted in November 1972.
But the old logo is not being used as of today. Instead, a new logo crafted sometime in 2004 during the time of then Governor Maximo Dalog is being used even without a resolution or ordinance supporting it.
The old logo is consisted of a warrior shield on a white background decorated sideways by pure white mountain lilies, verdant hills, rugged mountains, rice terraces, spear and head-ax. The lower portion of the shield is a background of sunset red symbolizing the gold, copper, and other minerals underneath the mountains.
The new logo has a sky blue background which is now the color of the province; has modern rice terraces above the rivers, and the lower portion is golden in color representing the true color of gold and other minerals. The bold letters of Mountain Province have a background of sky blue not just blue.
The proposed new logo contains ten stars to represent the ten municipalities; not five in the old logo representing the defunct five sub-provinces of the old Mountain Provinces now composing the Cordillera Administrative Region.
An option is to make also the encircling beads represent the 144 barangays of the province.
During a past meeting, then Board Member Raul Lapon recommended using back the old logo while legislative action is on-going but his proposal was rebutted by IPMR representative Board Member Thomas Tawagen who said that the new logo is now being used.
“Let us legitimize it with a resolution or an ordinance”, he said referring to the new logo as already in circulation.
It is not known if the proposal was referred to a certain committee.**Roger Sacyaten
