Sen Villar to grace Bauko Begnas fest

By Arsenia Addon

BAUKO, Mountain Province -- With the theme “Bauko: Home of Talents and Opportunities,” this town is set to celebrate its thanksgiving festival – “Begnas di Bauko” on March 14-16 at the municipal oval, Poblacion.

Sen. Cynthia Villar will be guest of honor and speaker on March 14 during the agro-industrial tourism fair and cultural presentations.

Since Bauko is the headwater of major river systems  that leads to Abra, Agno, Chico, and Magat rivers,  this year’s celebration  aims to highlight advocacies and interventions for watershed protection, conservation and opportunities provided by being home to headwaters.

The festival will feature cultural and nature sites as tourism assets through pre- Begnas trekking, a civic parade that will mobilize the 22 barangays and different sectors including sister cities and municipalities to foster belongingness.

The priests and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church of the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc and Lagawe and Episcopal Diocese of Northern Luzon will be staging a concert to raise fund for ecological advocacies and a church building at Soysoyoc, Tapapan.

Woven products will be highlighted in a fashion show during the search for Ms Begnas at the same time providing venue for the newly installed sangguniang kabataan councils in a night of fellowship with elders and search candidates.

School age children will take the center stage on March 15 with CEO Mike Defensor during talent showdown and  indigenous games.

The third day will be a day with partners and friends for community development.

Regional director Nancy Bantog of Dept. of Science and Technology will grace the occasion with promotion of health good practices through marathon and Red Cross event.

Abraham B. Akilit urged participation of all barangays and invited the public to be in Bauko on these dates for a taste of Bauko’s hospitality, culture and arts, scenic and panoramic landscape.