Mt Prov board slot vacant; Lacwasan, Tauli take posts

By Roger Sacyaten

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Provincial Board of the province was reorganized with committee chairmanships distributed among members but with vacant slot for District 2 not to be filled up.

This developed in the wake of the assumption of elected Vice Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr to the governorship in acting capacity and Board Member Francis Tauli of District 2 as acting vice governor.

There is now a vacancy in the four slots for Board Members of District 2 with the assumption of Tauli as vice governor.

The remaining Board Members are Romeo Pagedped, Donato Danglose, and Salvador Dalang while District 1 is represented by Board Members Raul Lapon, Stephen Afuyog, Cariπo Tamang, and Alfonso Kiat-ong.

In an interview, now acting Vice Gov. Francis Tauli said the body has no plan to fill the ensuing vacant position.

“Please take note that we are serving in acting capacity. I don’t think there should be an acting Board Member,” he said. “What will happen if ever they will revert back to their original positions. Will the one acting as Board Member be stripped of the position? The better option therefore is for the body not to fill the position.”

The provincial legislative body reorganized the standing committees with a chair and co-chair and three members and designated representatives to the special bodies.

The committee on budget and appropriations, public works, highways and infrastructure is now chaired by Raul Lapon and committee on health, sanitation, and social Services by CariǹoTamang.

The committee on environmental protection and tourism is chaired by  DonatoDanglose; laws, provincial properties and equipment by Romeo Pagedped; education and culture, Francis Tauli; human rights, civil defense, and peace and order, Alfonso Kiat-ong; agriculture and agrarian reform, Salvador Dalang; women, senior citizens and family relations. Romeo Pagedped and  cooperatives, NGOs, POs, and trade and industry by Stephen Afuyog.

The chairmanship of the following committees were given to sectoral representatives: municipal and youth affairs, sports, and personnel development by new PCL representative Ricky Samidan; barangay affairs to Liga Ng mga Barangay representative Paul Farong-ey, and indigenous peoples to IPMR representative Alfredo Ramon.

The following Board Members were designated to different special bodies: Raul Lapon and Salvador Dalang to personnel selection board; Tamang and Lapon to local health board; Kiat-ong and Lapon to peace and order council, and Lapon to National Board Members League.

The reorganization and designation was done by virtue of Resolution No. 2016-227 enacted by the SangguniangPanlalawigan last July 20.