BONTOC, Mtn. Province – As an added activity in this year’s Lang-ay Festival, the Provincial Museum, Tourism Information and Cultural Center building will be constructed soon after the groundbreaking activity last April 5, 2025 here.
Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr, along with Department of Tourism- CAR Regional Director Jovi Ganongan, and Engr. Rady Adame of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), led the groundbreaking activity for the new building that will house the Provincial Museum, Tourism Information and Cultural Center of the province.
This significant project was funded by TIEZA with P40 million pesos to help preserve the cultural heritage of the province, promote tourism, and showcase the historical facts of the province.
Governor Lacwasan thanked the TIEZA for the funds and expressing optimism that the proposed project will spur tourism development in the province.
Director Ganongan, for her part, expressed that the proposed project showcases the partnership between the provincial offices and officials, TIEZA and DOT.
“It shows your priority goals for the province which is tourism development and promotion. The DOT and TIEZA will assist in this endeavor”, she told the small crowd present.
The groundbreaking activity proceeded thereafter with Governor Lacwasan, Vice Governor Tauli, Director Ganongan, and Engr. Rady Adame of TIEZA laid the capsule witnessed by this writer and the rest of the audience.
The event was also attended by Elleonor Gulangan, Manager of the Mount Data Hotel, a facility owned by TIEZA, Vice Governor Francis Tauli, members of the local and regional media, and chief of offices of the provincial government.
In an interview conducted after the activity, Director Ganongan reiterated the significant contribution of the project in the tourism endeavor of the provincial leadership.
Supervising Tourism Operations Officer and Provincial Culture and the Arts Officer Roger Sacyaten said that the first floor will house the Political Museum, the second floor will be the Provincial Tourism Office, the third floor will be occupied by the Culture and the Arts office, and the fourth floor will be the function hall to be used by the offices.
Director Ganongan said that the function hall will serve as venue for the numerous trainings of tourism and culture in the future.
MEANWHILE, another tourism project funded also by TIEZA is the Tourism Rest Area in the scenic spot in Bayyo, Bontoc, Mountain Province, overlooking the Rice Terraces and Bayyo Village along the Bontoc-Banaue national road.
It was learned that the provincial counterpart of the project which is the construction of the posts to elevate the structure to the slab that the Tourist Rest Area stand is ongoing.**Roger Sacyaten
