BAGUIO CITY – City Vice Mayor Faustino A. Olowan was elected by his fellow vice mayors from the different cities and municipalities in the region as the chairman of the Vice Mayor’s League of the Philippines – Cordillera chapter for the term 2019-2022.
The City Vice Mayor will serve as the region’s representative to the Board of Directors of the league.
“We are grateful to our fellow vice mayors from the different parts of the region for giving us a chance to lead our prestigious organization. We will try our best to support key legislations that will have an impact in the overall development of the region,” Vice Mayor Olowan stressed.
He said that one of the proposals of the group is to pursue the earlier proposal of Besao Vice Mayor June Lopsoten for the organization to have a representation to the Regional Development Council (RDC), the region’s policy-making body, considering that whatever development projects, programs and activities that will be cascaded to the local level will require legislations from the concerned local legislative bodies.
According to him, the group will also work out the needed support to the region’s quest for regional autonomy by passing the appropriate legislations supporting the proposed filing of the autonomy law by the different Cordillera congressmen in the 18th Congress.
He stated that local legislators must be aware of the various development initiatives that are being undertaken in their areas of jurisdiction so that they will be able to formulate the appropriate legislations required by concerned government agencies to ensure the smooth implementation of their programs, projects and activities beneficial in improving the quality of life in the different parts of the region.
The presiding officer also claimed that the organization will try to work out the provision of added trainings for its members for them to be updated on the latest trends in the crafting and formulation of local legislations that will contribute in efforts to spur development in the rural areas.
The other officers of the organization are Villaviciosa Vice Mayor Marjorie L. Lagen – regional vice chairperson, Conner Vice Mayor Jorico F. Bayaua- regional secretary, La Trinidad Vice Mayor Roderick C. Awingan – regional treasurer, Lacub Vice Mayor Estelita B. Bersamina – regional auditor and Lamut vice Mayor Victomar H. Bunnol – regional Public Relations Officer (PRO).
The members of the organization’s Board of Directors are Besao Vice Mayor June T. Lopsoten, Sablan Vice Mayor Arthur C. Baldo, Kiangan Vice Mayor Michelle Alice B. Baguilat, Bucloc Vice Mayor Eugene C. Cillo and San Juan Vice Mayor Ari Lucas B. Bautista.
The organization recently conducted its regional convention following the organization of the different provincial chapters in the different provinces and cities comprising the Cordillera Administrative Region to elect the new set of regional officers and formulate their programs, activities and projects during the current term, especially in helping advance the government’s major initiatives in trying to improve the quality of life in the countryside towards a developed country in the next decades.
By Dexter A. See