Cordillera reps file bill to name Benguet road in honor of WW2 hero

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Cordillera congressmen recently filed a bill in Congress to name a major road artery in Benguet as Gov. Bado Dangwa Road in honor of the former political kingpin who was a World War 2 hero.

Congressional represent tatives who filed the bill included Nicasio M. AlipingJr.,Baguio City; Ronald Cosalan, Benguet; Ma. Jocelyn Bernos, Abra; Eleanor C. Bulut-Begtang,Apayao; Teddy BrawnerBaguilat, Ifugao; Manuel Agyao, Kalinga and MaximoDalog, Mountain Province.

They said naming of the Acop –Tublay-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun-Sinipsip, Buguias road in honor of Dangwa was long overdue not only because of his business prowess, military exploits and political acumen but more because of the way the former governor contributed to improvement of the lives of  Cordillera people.

Dangwa was a successful businessman who was able to establish the first bus line of the region.

His military career started during Wordl War 2 when he allowed his buses to become war carriages for retreating American forces.

Later, he was appointed first lieutenant and eventually became a major leading the 66th Infantry Division which fought a guerilla war against the invading Japanese Imperial Army.

After the war, he continued and expanded his Dangwa Transport business operations.

He was twice appointed as governor of the old Mt. Province by Presidents ElpidioQuirino in1953 and President Ramon Magsaysay in 1954.

His political calling was solidified when he was voted into office of Mt. Province from January 1956 to December 1959 and January 1960 to December 1963.

During his terms, the authors said, Dangwa was “a pillar of influence and an instrument of development for the Province of Benguet.”

Recently, the town of Kapangan declared Dangwa a hero commemorating his date of birth as a local holiday.

He was born in Kapangan on May 5, 1905.

The authors added the renaming the road in his honor was appropriate since it “crisscrosses several municipalities of Benguet which provide access of thousands of people in going and transporting their produce to the city of Baguio and other areas in the lowlands.”