BONTOC, Mtn. Province – Without any body to look into the historical heritages in the province, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) here enacted Provincial Ordinance No. 496, Series 2023 entitled “An Ordinance Institutionalizing the Creation of the Provincial Historical Committee in the Provincial Government, providing for its funding, and for other purposes”.
This came about after a request was forwarded to the august body for the institutionalization of the Committee. Indeed, the Provincial Historical Committee was created under Memorandum Order No. 06, Series 2022 that amended Memorandum Order No. 57, series 2021.
The Committee has since caused the publication of the history book titledMountain Province: Then and Now. It has also caused the painting of governors’ portraits since 1967, when the province was separated from the old Mountain Province.
The Honorable Board Members recognize that “there is no body or office in the provincial government that is concerned with history and culture to preserve and perpetuate the historical heritages, and for other purposes”.
The PHC is mandated to recognize the historical uniqueness and resources of the province and its people acknowledging the local cliché that says “ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan”.
The Committee is further tasked to formulate programs and projects to perpetuate the history of the province, the offices of the provincial government, and instrumentalities since the operationalization of the new provincial government in 1967.
Chaired by Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr and Co-Chaired by this writer, prominent members are the focal persons as representative writers from the all the various offices of the provincial government.
The Committee shall meet quarterly on the second Monday of the first month of the quarter.
The office of the Committee will be the Provincial Tourism Office with secretariat coming from the tourism office, Provincial Information Office, and Provincial Legal Office.
Meanwhile, the regional office of the Department of Tourism has embarked on a historical journey on World War 1 and II relics tourism attractions. Earlier this year, some tour operators and tour guides came to the province and went to Camp Montes here to commemorate the heroism of First Lieutenant Geronimo F. Montes who died in action during World War II in the Battle of Wakalan in between Bontoc and Tocucan.
Other historical sites visited were Camp Dangwa in Benguet, Bessang Pass in Cervantes, and the surrender site of General Yamashita in Kiangan, Ifugao, among others.**Roger Sacyaten
