ATOK, Benguet – The municipal government of this fifth-class town and the local government of Inalahan, Guam recently forged a sisterhood agreement that seeks to bolster socio-cultural exchanges that will spur the growth of the town’s tourism industry.
The formal signing of the twinning agreement between Mayor Franklin L. Smith and Inalahan Mayor Anthony Chargualaf served as one of the highlights of the annual celebration of the town’s founding anniversary which was the 124th this year.
“We look forward to a fruitful relationship between our municipalities so that we will be able to realize successful exchanges that will bolster our respective localities,” Mayor Smith stressed.
For his part, Mayor Chargualaf is also looking forward to helping in the sustainable growth and development of Atok with the help of Inalahan through extensive socio-cultural and economic exchanges for the benefit of both the involved municipalities.
Inalahan is a village on the southeastern coast of the United States territory of Guam. The village is said to consist of many small clan settlements prior to the Spanish arrival in Guam. It was the home to the legendary Chief Gadao, and was one of the few villages with sizable populations at the end of the Spanish rule in 1898. The Spanish also relocated Chamorros of the northernmost Mariana islands, known as Gani, including Anatahan, Sarigan, Alamagan, Pagan, Agrihan and Asuncion, to Inalahan and Merizo in the late 1600s.
Further, Inalahan was officially established in 1680 by the Spaniards, along with the St. Joseph Church and was one of the main villages in Guam during the Spanish era.
Mayor Smith expressed his gratitude to La Trinidad Mayor Romeo K. Salda and Sablan Mayor Alfredo Dacumos, Jr. for linking him with Hagat, Guam Mayor Kevin James Susuico who was instrumental in identifying Inalahan to be the sister municipality of Atok.
Moreover, Vice Mayor Jessie Bautista of Barrigada, Guam also assisted Mayor Susuico in identifying Inalahan to be Atok’s sister municipality that will contribute in spurring socio-cultural exchanges between the involved Benguet towns and their sister municipalities in Guam, especially in the field of tourism.
Witnessing the formal signing of the sisterhood agreement between Atok and Inalahan was La Trinidad Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan, Angelica Chargualaf, wife of mayor Chargualaf and Joan Susuico, wife of mayor Susuico.
Smith is hopeful that Atok will be able to strike later similar sisterhood agreements with various municipalities from the different parts of the world to contribute in spurring the growth of the town’s tourism industry to significantly improve the local economy and provide more employment opportunities and sources of livelihood for the residents while providing tourists with a wonderful experience when visiting the different tourist spots in the locality while enjoying the town’s cool and romantic weather year round.
Atok hosts various agri-tourism destinations that draws numerous foreign and domestic tourists annually enjoying the sceneries of the mystical town and the weather which is conducive for a wonderful vacation. By Dexter A. See
