BONTOC, Mountain Province – Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., led the officials and people of Bontoc in the municipality’s support for Cordillera’s pursuit of autonomy when he received the ‘symbolic unity gong’ from the delegates of Barlig headed by Mayor Clark Ngaya on July 10, 2022, at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol auditorium.
In his Turnover Message, Mayor Ngaya who received the unity gong from the Municipality of Natonin expressed their support for the realization of the Cordillera Autonomous Region.
In his Acceptance Message, Mayor Tudlong commended the officialdom of Mountain Province for coming up with an innovation in cascading the traditional Cordillera Unity Gong Relay through the passing of the unity gong from one municipality to another.
“The passing of the unity gong from one municipality to another municipality in Mountain Province is an avenue to fully explain to our partners at the barangay level our quest for regional autonomy since they are the ones who will help us relay the messages to the people in their respective villages,” he remarked.
He said that this is the reason that the barangay officials, youth sector, and senior citizens were invited to take part in the event as he appealed to the participants to relay the messages on autonomy to their respective communities.
“We have to involve our people as this will lead to more opportunities for the region to come up with policies on progress and development that are responsive to the situation of the region. We hope this strengthens our clamor for self-determination to achieve autonomy towards good governance. That when we beat the Cordillera Unity Gong, may the sound of the gong be our voice as one Cordillera,” Tudlong emphasized.
Provincial Administrator Franklin Odsey who spoke on behalf of the Provincial Government of Mountain Province lauded the two municipalities for their commitment of support to the on-going quest for Cordillera autonomy.
Gary Pekas of the Provincial Government of Mountain Province who is also a member of the Speakers Bureau for Regional Autonomy talked on the significance of the Unity Gong Relay and answered questions from the participants during the open forum.
Others dignitaries who are present during Unity Gong Relay Program in Bontoc are the members of the Sangguniang Bayan led by Vice Mayor Eusebio Kabluyen and delegates from the Provincial Government of Mountain Province.
Meanwhile, Mayor Tudlong who led the delegates from Bontoc in the turnover of the unity gong to the Municipality of Sabangan led by Mayor Marcial Lawilao, Jr., on the morning of July 11, 2022, expressed high hopes that Sabangan will reciprocate the same support that Bontoc has committed in pursuit of Cordillera Autonomous Region.
The inter-municipality turnover of the symbolic unity gong is part of line-up activities in celebration of the 35th Cordillera Founding Anniversary. For this year’s celebration, Mountain Province is the host with the Department of Social Welfare and Development as the lead agency.
The theme for this year’s Cordillera Month celebration is “One Autonomous Cordillera: Ensuring Social Development and Inclusive Growth in the New Normal”.
