BONTOC, Mtn. Provinces – The provincial government has two distinct logos and it confuses agencies on what to use.
This surfaced as this office received concerns on which is the official one. The old one has resolutions to support it but is not being used while the new one has no documentation but is currently being used.
The new logo hugs the 2018 provincial calendars and used in stationaries, tarpaulins, and signages but no resolution or ordinance indorses it.
The Philippines National Police in the province highlighted this concern when it brought the concerns to the attention of the Provincial Tourism Office.
PSI Faith Ayan, personnel at the Provincial Police Office in the province, related how they encountered problems when they tried to use the new logo. They were allegedly told to use the old as it is still recognized by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
The old logo was reportedly used also during the CARAA event in Abra this year.
This led this writer to seek legislative action on the part of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan through Vice Governor Francis Tauli. In a letter dated January 30, 2018, the members of the Sanggunian were sought to clarify this matter and take legislative actions.
Last February 20, 2018, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan tackled the matter. It was explained that the old provincial logo was sanctioned through Resolution No. 155 passed in September 1970 and amended by Resolution No. 440 enacted in November 1972.
But the old logo is not being used as of today. Instead, a new logo crafted sometime in 2004 during the time of then Governor Maximo Dalog is now being used even without a resolution or ordinance supporting it.
The old logo is consisted of a warrior shield on a white background decorated sideways by pure white mountain lilies, verdant hills, rugged mountains, rice terraces, spear and head-ax.
The lower portion of the shield is a background of sunset red symbolizing the gold, copper, and other minerals underneath the mountains.
The new logo has a sky blue background which is now the color of the province; has modern rice terraces above the rivers, and the lower portion is golden in color representing the true color of gold and other minerals. The bold letters of Mountain Province have background of sky blue not just blue.
The new logo should also contain ten stars to represent the ten municipalities; not five in the old logo representing the defunct five sub-provinces of the old Mountain Provinces now composing the Cordillera Administrative Region.
An option is to make also the encircling beads represent the 144 barangays of the province.
During the meeting, Board Member Raul Lapon recommended using back the old logo while legislative action is on-going but his proposal was rebutted by Board Member Thomas Tawagen who said that the new logo is now being used.
“Let us legitimize it with a resolution or an ordinance”, he said referring to the new logo as already in circulation.
The measure was referred to the committee on Municipal Affairs chaired by Board Member Alexandre Claver for further study and refinement.
By Roger Sacyaten
