BONTOC, Mountain Province – In its quest for sustaining peace and order in the province, the Mountain Province Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) held its First Quarter Meeting for 2025 at the Bayle Hotel and Restaurant, Sac-angan, Caluttit on March 26, 2025.
The meeting was presided upon by PPOC Focal Person Angel B. Baybay on behalf of PPOC Chairperson Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr.
Alongside the reports of the council members were updates from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), particularly on the finalization of the Transformation Program Plan (TPP) that the OPAPRU has presented to the PPOC in November 2024. The TPP is part of the latter’s Local Peace Engagement. The OPAPRU team was led by its consultants for CAR, Tomas A. Killip and Cameron P. Odsey.
On the TPP, Baybay presented the consolidated list of projects, programs and activities for adoption by the PPOC. Nonetheless, with some concerns raised, the body decided to hold another special meeting for the finalization of the TPP pending the incorporation of changes raised by concerned agencies.
In addition, an orientation for the upcoming May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) by Atty. Rodante C. Selpaten, Election Officer III of the Commission on Elections – Bontoc. In particular, Atty. Selpaten presented the “DON’Ts” during some prescribed periods before and during the May 12 – NLE.
Meanwhile, Rev. Fr. Marcial Lloyd C. Castañeda, chairperson for the Moral Formation of the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc – Lagawe and the president of the LENG-AG Provincial Ecumenical Ministers Association of Mountain Province, raised the issues/ concerns on sand quarrying at the Chico River that is currently endangering the Chico Bridge in Samoki. In response, Senior Forest Management Specialist Manuel P. Magkachi, Officer-in-Charge of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer -Sabangan, Rodel V. Cacpal, of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- CAR CENRO – Sabangan (now in Cabunagan, Tadian) said that the illegal quarrying along the Chico River is one of the agenda in the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board meeting to be held on March 27, 2025 (Thursday). Cacpal invited Fr. Castañeda and the other members of the PMRB to attend the said meeting. By MP-PIO
