ITOGON, Benguet – Three-term Mayor Victorio Palangdan was unanimously chosen by chief executives from the province’s thirteen municipalities as the president of the League of Municipalities (LMP) Benguet chapter for the current term 2019-2022.
Palangdan and his fellow LMP Benguet chapter officers will be sworn into office by Gov. Melchor D. Diclas during simple but fitting ceremonies that will be scheduled for the said purpose.
“We should forget politics and start working for the development of our municipalities and our province as a whole. We will remain united for the common purpose of working for the overall development of Benguet,” Mayor Palangdan stressed.
The town’s chief executive said he will reach out to all municipal mayors to get their commitments for their unified efforts to work to improve the development of the province without leaving behind any municipality.
He added the LMP will serve as a vehicle for barangays in their respective areas of jurisdiction to access programs, projects and activities from the municipal, provincial governments and the concerned government agencies so that the people in the countryside will feel the presence of government.
Among the priority programs that should be provided with utmost attention include agriculture, tourism, environmental preservation and protection and the provision of sustainable livelihood to small-scale miners wanting to have alternative sources of livelihood.
According to him, the bond among the local chief executives in the province has to be strengthened to empower them to work for the common goal of spurring the development in all parts of the province for people to enjoy the fruits of development, especially with the implementation of significant infrastructure projects lined up by the national and local governments, coupled with the improved delivery of basic services down to the grassroots level.
Mayor Palangdan underscored the importance of working together as a team so that local officials of Benguet will have a stronger leverage in lobbying for technical and financial support from concerned government agencies for their desired programs, projects and activities towards the overall development of their jurisdictions and the improved lived of their constituents.
The other officers of the LMP Benguet chapter are Tublay Vice Mayor Armando Lauro – vice president, Mankayan Mayor Frenzel Ayong – secretary, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo K. Salda – treasurer, Atok Mayor Raymundo Sara – auditor and Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan, Kabayan Mayor Faustino Aquisan and Kibungan Mayor Cesar Molitas – business managers.
The members of the Board of Directors are Sablan Mayor Manuel Munar, Jr., Bokod Mayor Thomas Wales, Jr., Kapangan Mayor Manny Fermin, Bakun Mayor Bill Raymundo and Buguias Mayor Ruben Tindaan.
By HENT