KIBUNGAN, Benguet – Mayor Cesar Molitas announced the local government lined up simple but meaningful activities for the celebration of the 116th year of existence and the 28th founding anniversary of the municipality on November 22, 2016.
The local chief executive cited members of the committee tasked to prepare the activities for the said occasion decided to forego of the planned sports and barangay activities to save funds that will be given to the thousands of families who survived Supertyphoon Lawin considering that the municipality was one of the hardest hit towns in the province.
“We decided to forego our plans for our anniversary celebration so that we will use the funds appropriated for the activities to help our calamity-stricken townmates recover from the effects of the worst weather disturbance that struck our municipality,” Molitas stressed.
On November 22, the municipal government will hold a thanksgiving mass, followed by a short program and tree planting before the scheduled community lunch.
Further, the officials of the seven barangays were tasked to coordinate with the schools in their respective areas of jurisdiction for the identification of the area where their respective tree planting will be done simultaneously with the tree planting of the local government.
However, Molitas added the local government will still push through with the printing of souvenir T-shirts which will be sold to interested patrons and the proceeds will be used to augment the assistance extended to the calamity victims from the different barangays.
According to him, there were over 2,900 families in the different barangays who were affected by the onslaught of Supertyphoon Lawin while there were 252 houses that were damaged by the weather disturbance. Of the damaged houses, 57 structures were totally damaged that need assistance from both the national and local governments to enable the affected families to substantially recover.
Molitas appealed to natives of the town intending to join the supposed festivities that the planned activities had been canceled.
After the simple but meaningful activities during the town’s anniversary which is a holiday in the municipality, Molitas and the town’s delegation to the 116th founding anniversary of Benguet will be motoring to the capital town of La Trinidad to attend the activities prepared by the provincial government for the said celebration the following day.
Mayor Molitas expressed optimism that the town’s anniversary celebration next year will be better to entice the participation of more natives of the locality to join.
By HENT
