BONTOC, Mountain Province – Mayor Franklin Odsey of this capital town was chosen by local chief executives from the 10 towns of the province as the president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Mountain Province chapter.
Odsey, who is now on his third term as the town’s chief executive, will lead the LMP Mountain Province chapter from 2019-2022 to help in spurring the development of the different barangays and municipalities provincewide.
“Mountain Province is still a developing province that is why we need to access most of the programs, projects and activities of the different government line agencies so that we will be able to help in improving the living condition of our people. We must be able to access whatever assistance that we could get from the national government so that we will be able to advance and develop at a much faster pace,” Mayor Odsey stressed.
He pointed out that the LMP will serve as a bridge for the barangays in the different parts of the province to be able to access various programs and projects from the different government agencies, especially to effectively and efficiently address the social problems in the communities, so that there will be enhanced development opportunities in the countryside.
According to him, it is also important to ensure that basic services will be able to the people in the remote villages so that their priority needs will be addressed while government will be working in the infrastructure development in the said areas considering that infrastructure is not the only aspect of overall development.
Odsey asserted that one of the priority initiatives of the LMP Mountain Province chapter is to establish unity and harmonious working relationship among concerned government agencies, the provincial government and the different municipal governments as well as the barangays so that the province will be able to move on to greater heights.
He expressed his gratitude to his fellow local chief executives for giving him the trust and confidence to lead the organization during the present term, saying that there is a need for them to cooperate in working for the overall growth and development not only of their own municipalities but also the whole province.
He admitted that much is still needed in terms of providing the development needs of the people provincewide that it is best for local officials to come together with a common goal of elevating to a higher level the desired development of the different political subdivisions through their individual and collective efforts considering that the support of all sectors is needed to uplift the status of the province.
The other officers of the LMP Mountain Province chapter are Bauko Mayor Abraham B. Akilit – vice president, Sadanga Mayor Gabino Ganggangan – secretary, Sagada Mayor James Pooten – treasurer, Besao Mayor Johnson Bantog II – auditor and Natonin Mayor Jose Agagon – public relations officer.
The members of the Board of Directors are Paracelis Mayor Marcos Ayangwa, Barlig Mayor Clark Ngaya, Sabangan Mayor Marcial Lawilao, Jr. and Tadian Mayor Constito Masweng.
Earlier Besao Vice Mayor June Tade Lopsoten was also chosen as the president of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines Mountain Province chapter while Bauko Councilor Ashley Tarnate Sili was elected as the president of the Philippine Councilors League – Mountain Province chapter. By HENT