TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio was formally adopted as a daughter of Kalinga during formal adoption rites held during her visit to the province for the celebration of Kalinga’s 28th founding anniversary and the 4th Bodong festival.
The vice president, who was accompanied by former President and House Speaker and now House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was given the local name ‘Lumingay,’ which means lovable, strong and supportive wife of a tribal leader.
Earlier, the provincial board passed Resolution No. 2023-034 that formally adopted the Vice President as a daughter of Kalinga and giving her the name ‘Lumingay.’
Vice President Duterte-Carpio was the guest of honor and speaker during the Schools Day of this year’s 28th founding anniversary of Kalinga and 4th Bodong festival where she was warmly welcomed by teachers, students and various education officials of the different private and public elementary, secondary and tertiary schools from the different parts of the province.
Further, provincial officials led by Gov. James Edduba and Rep. Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang were also present during the visit of the vice president which was her first time to visit Kalinga.
Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero and other local officials from the different parts of the province, religious groups headed by Bishop Prudencio Andaya and representatives from various regional agencies also joined the people and officialdom of Kalinga in welcoming the vice president and her entourage.
The vice president’s visit was preceded by a grand streetdancing parade participated in by 10 competing secondary schools from the different parts of the province.
The schools demonstrated and presented their energetic groves, colorful costumes, creative cultural choreography, and dynamic formations as they paraded and converged at the intersection fronting St. William’s Cathedral before proceeding to the rotunda for their 6-minute performances.
The delegation from the Kalinga National High School was declared as the champion of this streetdancing competition while the Lubuagan National High School–Poblacion Extension and Senior High School landed in second place. Rizal National School of Arts and Trades placed third while Malagnat National High School landed in fourth place.
On the other hand, Kalinga State University laboratory high school bagged the best banner entry of the said competition.
On February 14, 1995, former President Fidel V. Ramos signed into law Republic Act (RA) 7878 which divided the former Kalinga-Apayao into 2 independent provinces, particularly Kalinga and Apayao with the seven municipalities of Luna, Pudtol, Sta. Marcela, Flora, Calanasan, Kabugao and Conner comprising Apayao province with Luna serving as its capital town.
On the other hand, the eight towns of Tabuk, Rizal, Pinukpuk, Tanudan, Pasil, Lubuagan, Balbalan and Tinglayan comprised the Kalinga province with Tabuk as the capital. Later in 2007, Tabuk was converted into a component city which made it the second city in the Cordillera.