TADIAN, Mtn. Prov.– The public is being cautioned not to call the prime tourist attraction in this municipality by its vulgar and unofficial name.
Mount Mogao is otherwise known as “Mount Clitoris” with the latter being called foreign and vulgar.
Resolution No. 173 – 2019 of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of the town called for the deletion of the name “Mount Clitoris” from the website of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Cordillera Administrative Region.
The agency has identified Mount Clitoris as among the tourist attractions of the town.
IPMR Eugene Gapacan, an ex-officio member of the SB, said during the Local Cultural Mapping Community Validation on September 9, 2020 never to mention the name “Mount Clitoris” as it is prohibited by the legislative action of the SB.
Julia Saganib, a retired teacher and author of the Cordillera Hymn, clarified that it was in the 1980s during a press conference that Ben Moga, then the chief of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in the province, who coined the name for the tourists and people to become curious and go and see the attraction.
Accordingly, a press release was made to announce the new reference to the mountain which, indeed, made it popular as every now and then it is referred to by the new name rather than the original one.
The resolution authored by Councilor Dexter Taclobao acknowledged that “a growing number of information materials on the Municipality of Tadian most of which were prepared by non-citizens of Tadian for tourists and researchers refer to Mount Clitoris as among the sight to visit in the municipality”.
It further says that “allowing the renaming of Mount Mogao to Mount Clitoris, a name that is absolutely foreign and vulgar, would betray the forefathers of the municipality, and would perpetuate a name that does not speak well of the Tadian culture– a way of life that is grounded on love respect and decency”.
IPMR Gapacan echoed the sentiments of most of the officials and people in the town who are against the use of the new name.
But unknowing to him and the others, Mount Clitoris is more popular.
“The name Mount Clitoris is more interesting to hear”, said an observer who wants to remain unanimous.
DILG Provincial Director Anthony Manolo Ballug confirmed that the name was already deleted in the website of the agency.**Roger Sacyaten
