Towns’ merger pushed to create ‘Bago’ province

BY DEXTER A SEE

BAGUIO CITY – Local officials of several interior towns of Ilocos Sur are pushing the creation of the proposed Bago Province to spur development in their respective municipalities and preserve the identity of the Bago tribe to which they belong.

During a recent meeting with Baguio City Rep. Mauricio G. Domogan, who is also a member of the Bago tribe, municipal officials of Cervantes, San Emilio, Quirino, Gregorio del Pilar, Ledledda, and Suyo said the creation of a new province would result in greater chances of improving vital infrastructure facilities in the interior areas of Ilocos Sur.

The new province would serve as the seat of the Bago tribe, one of the indigenous cultural communities in the country, they said.

Domogan said the proposed Bago Province would be composed of the 14 interior towns of Ilocos Sur, three remote towns of Abra, and one or two towns of La Union.

Initially, the Ilocos Sur towns targeted for inclusion in the new province include Cervantes, San Emilio, Quirino, Gregorio de Pilar, Ledledda, Suyo, Sugpon, Segay, Alilem, Burgos, Banayoyo, Salcedo, Nagbuken,a nd Galimuyod.

The towns of Tubo, Villaviciosa and Luba, all in Abra, and Sudipen in La Union are also proposed to become parts of the new province.

However, Board member Alex Bestoyong of Ilocos Sur said that the proposal to create a Bago Province must be subjected to consultation with provincial and municipal officials of Ilocos Sur and affected towns. He added this would make the people affected understand the purpose of establishing the province.

At present, members of the Bago tribe, which is considered an indigenous cultural community, are distributed in the remote towns of Ilocos Sur, Abra, and La Union.

Domogan cited the importance of creating an entirely new province for the Bago tribe, saying this would entitle the Bago people to have a representative in Congress and a new set of provincial officials as well as a separate internal revenue allotment (IRA) that could be used for the development of the communities composing Bago Province.

He urged the municipal officials of the concerned local government units to pass a resolution expressing their support for a bill creating Bago Province so that the lawmakers would have a basis for the enactment of the appropriate measure.

Cervantes town has already passed a resolution of support for such legislative measure. The other towns are expected to pass soon their resolutions.

Domogan advised municipal officials of concerned municipalities to consult their provincial officials and ensure that the creation of the Bago Province is not aimed at abandoning Ilocos Sur, but is aimed at promoting the cultural identity of the Bago tribe.