Historical group to work on Mt. Province heritage

By Roger Sacyaten

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Realizing there was no government body that looks into the historical heritage of Mountain Province, the  Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) approved an ordinance on the matter.  
    The SP entitled provincial ordinance 496, series of 2023, “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 SP for institutionalization of the committee.
    The Provincial Historical Committee was crafted under memorandum order 06, series 2022 that amended memorandum order 57, series 2021.
    The committee has since caused the publication of the history book entitled Mountain Province: Then and Now.
It has also caused the painting of governors’ portraits since 1967, the separation of the province as separate and distinct province from the old Mountain Province.
    “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 purpose,” the Provincial Board said.
    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 was 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 Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr. and co-chaired by this writer, prominent members are focal persons as representative writers from offices of the provincial government.
    The committee shall meet quarterly at 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, information and provincial legal offices.
    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, tour operators and tour guides visted Mountain 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 between Bontoc and Tocucan.
    Other historical sites visited were the Camp Dangwa in Benguet, Bessang Pass in Cervantes, and the sSurrender site of General Yamashita in Kiangan, Ifugao among others.