BONTOC, Mountain Province – Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. acknowledged the overwhelming support of the people and officialdom of the province for the successful conduct of the 56th founding anniversary of Mountain Province and the 16th Lang-ay Festival that contributed to the gradual and safe revival of the local economy.
He claimed that the influx of residents and visitors alike to the capital town to witness the various activities lined up for the 2-week celebration is a clear testament of their eagerness to participate in crowd-drawing events for them to be able to interact with each other after the 3-year lull in the conduct of gatherings.
Further, through their dances and chants, the governor commended the various delegations from the province’s 10 municipalities who actively participated in the various events for the celebration, particularly the streetdancing, street chanting and ground performances that showcased the unique culture and traditions of the people of Mountain Province.
Lacwasan said that the recent success of this year’s Mountain Province founding anniversary and Lang-ay Festival activities will definitely inspire and motivate the organizers to aim for a higher level in the conduct of future events that will contribute in enticing more visitors to visit the province during special occasions for them to witness the sterling and dynamic performances of the different participating delegations.
The provincial chief executive emphasized that the ongoing efforts towards recovery should be done in a gradual and safe manner to avoid unnecessary incidents that might trigger the rapid spread of the dreaded COVID-19 that is why the activities for this year’s festival was limited and that organizers made sure that the situation was under control.
Lacwasan advised the people to continue adhering to the implementation of the minimum public health standards such as the wearing of face mask, the observance of physical distancing, especially when in closed spaces and the practice of personal hygiene and regular disinfection because the virus still exists and for their overall health and safety.
On April 7, 1967, Mountain Province became an independent province and retained the name of the old Mountain Province under Republic Act (RA) 4695 or the division law that divided the old Mountain province into the 4 independent provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao and Bontoc now known as Mountain Province.
Lacwasan expressed his gratitude to the people and officialdom of the province and the 10 municipalities for their active participation in the various events of the province’s 56th Founding Anniversary and the 16th Lang-ay Festival, saying that the unity and teamwork of the concerned sectors should be sustained to serve as a living example that should be emulated by the upcoming generations.
He recognized the inclusion of the children’s category in the streetdancing, street chanting and ground performances will surely motivate the youth to be actively involved in culture-related activities so that the province’s rich culture and traditions will be effectively and efficiently passed on to them.