SABLAN, Benguet – Mayor-elect Alfredo Dacumos, Jr. vowed to introduce reforms in the various agriculture and tourism programs, projects and activities of the municipal government to help in bringing back the vibrance of the different sectors after having been heavily impacted by the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Dacumos, who was elected as the town’s local chief executive by majority of the voters of the municipality during the May 9, 2022 synchronized national and local elections, committed that one of the major thrusts of his incoming administration is to bring the government closer to the people so that the vulnerable and marginalized sectors will have better access to the basic services for their wellbeing.
He pointed out the need to significantly increase the available interventions of concerned government agencies and the municipal government to improve the productivity of the agriculture industry stakeholders and increase their income and enhance their life situation.
The incoming mayor also claimed the municipal government’s tourism programs must be enhanced to get a share of the increasing number of tourist arrivals in the Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT) area for visitor to be able to visit the different sceneries and natural attractions offered by the municipality.
Sablan is a fifth-class municipality in Benguet but serves as the food basket of the province being a major source of fruits being sold in the various markets inside and outside the locality.
Dacumos stipulated the municipal government will enhance existing linkages with the government and private sectors to tap their appropriate expertise to help in significantly improving the heavily impacted local economy and to stabilize the growth of the town’s agriculture and tourism sectors, being the major economic drivers of the municipality.
On the other hand, he asserted the need to improve the services being provided by the municipal government to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, women, youth, farmers and members of other vulnerable and marginalized sectors, for them to feel the presence of government in addressing their issues and concerns.
According to him, the municipal government will also work out the implementation of high impact development projects in the various parts of the municipality to help in spurring economic activities and other sources of livelihood of the people.
He stipulated that the development of the municipality should be at par with the ongoing development in neighboring communities so that it will not be left behind in terms of growth and progress for the benefit of providing the people with adequate jobs for the qualified ones and established economic activities and sources of livelihood that will pave the way for overall progress.
