BONTOC, Mtn. Prov.– The Sanguniang Panlalawigan has passed on first reading the official provincial Coat-Of-Arms or logo of the province adopting the new and being used logo with enhancements for it to be attuned to the times.
The Coat-of-Arms was originally adopted on September 4, 1970 through Resolution No. 155 but was amended by Resolution No. 440 passed on November 8, 1972 with mainly the change of the flower from lavender orchids to mountain lilies.
It was only in 1991, after a winning piece of the logo drawing contest was presented that the Coat-of-Arms was crafted and used.
Then in 2004, another amendment was introduced on the logo. Tue tree leaves were added beside the mountain lilies in recognition of the declaration of the Tue Tree as provincial tree by virtue of Provincial Ordinance No. 35 in 2003.
This, however, lacks an ordinance or resolution backing it up despite its being used not just by the offices but by the public.
Now, the logo is a subject of two impending amendments. The proposed ordinance is titled “Coat-of-Arms Act of Mountain Province” introduced by Board Member Alexandre C. Claver.
The detailed features of the Coat-of-Arms is generally the same with those being used in calendars, office letter heads of the provincial government offices, and stickers, among others, with the stars indicated as five representing the defunct five provinces of the old Mountain Province but this was changed to 10 stars depicting the 10 municipalities of the province.
Another amendment is on the inside beads which is not specified in number but is now specified to be 144 red and green beads to represent the 144 barangays of the province.
The proposed amendments are now being circulated in different offices for comments and further improvements. The public is also being notified through this publication.
Board Member Claver, in a letter dated February 27, 2018, is soliciting comments and/or suggestions from the various offices for the improvement of the said proposed ordinance.
The move is in line with the sentiment of IPMR Board Member Tomas Tawagen for the body to facilitate the legitimization of the logo being used by coming out with an ordinance or resolution to support it.
“Let us legitimize it with a resolution or an ordinance”, Tawagen said preferring to the continued use of the logo with the amendments rather than reuse the old logo which is a backward move.** By Roger Sacyaten
