ITOGON, Benguet – Benguet Caretaker Congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap underscored that the province must have a distinct identity through its culture, history, products, among others, and not rely on nearby places to get the appropriate exposure of one of the country’s must-see tourist destinations because of beautiful spots located in the different municipalities.
Yap, chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, said that aside from working out the provision of resources to fund the implementation of high impact projects in the different parts of the province, efforts are also being done to make the appropriate representations with concerned government agencies so that Benguet will have its distinct identity in terms of the packaging of products, among other aspects, that will move the province to greater heights.
He learned there are numerous products produced and packaged in Benguet but the same are being labelled as the products of other places for marketing purposes.
Congressman Yap claimed that in the House of Representatives, he is doing his best to make known to his colleagues that he is the legislative caretaker of Benguet, the major source of highland vegetables being sold in the country, the Salad Bowl of the Philippines, the source of strawberries and cutflowers, the home of peace-loving people, among others, that people in other parts of the country should know so that they will be educated that Benguet is a separate and distinct province with distinct identity.
According to him, Benguet is known for its rich natural resources that are its natural attractions that is why nature-lovers are enticed to visit the remote areas of the province and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Congressman Yap underscored that the people and officialdom of the province should be united in their efforts to work for the overall growth and development of Benguet because it has the potentials of becoming a first-class province, one of his major aspirations so that it will be able to avail of increased fund and resource allocations that will advance the province’s state.
The lawmaker asserted that it is high time that the vegetables being produced in the different municipalities should be known as Benguet vegetables and the brooms being produced in Kapangan and Sablan or in nearby Burgos and Bagulin, La Union should be attributed to the places where the same were produced to help in establishing the identity of the places and the products that they produce.
He admitted that for the past several decades some localities had been benefitting from the marketing and processing of the Benguet products thus it is now appropriate that the province should have a distinct identity that will brand its products from the different municipalities as easily identified with Benguet instead of other nearby places.
He urged concerned stakeholders in the province to extend the needed assistance for the establishment of the province’s distinct identity to make the province prominent not only in the local and national scenes but also in the international arena. By Hent