The province of Apayao celebrates its 27th Founding Anniversary with the theme “APAYAO @ 27: Holding on Together for Progress and Cultural Identity” held at Sitio Iyapan, Poblacion, Kabugao, Apayao on February 14, 2022.
The activity was graced by the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) Chairperson and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Director Secretary Allen Capuyan and Philippine Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade Commander, General Santiago Enginco, who both championed in their speeches the sacrifices and works of the renowned father of Apayao, the late Mayor, Governor and Congressman, Elias K. Bulut.
As part of the celebration, Governor Eleanor C. Bulut-Begtang led the distribution of financial assistance and incentives under the Apayao Socio-Economic Efforts Necessary for Growth (ASENG) program, as well as assorted vegetable seeds to barangay officials and farmer organizations in the municipality. Also, certificates and cash prizes to winners of the province wide Mural Painting Contest sponsored by the Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) were also awarded.
Meanwhile, in a recorded message played during the event, Capuyan urged everyone’s continuous cooperation to uphold the country’s democracy and enjoined the LGUs to continue fighting for the rights of its people, “asserting cultural identity towards progress.” This is in relation to the national government’s Whole-of-Nation Approach to the proliferation of “Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) whose goal is to topple down the government, operating mostly in most of the ancestral domains, causing a lot of issues that destroy the lives of the IPs.”
Whereas, General Enginco lauded the province contribution through its leaders’ commendable efforts in maintaining peace and order in the province in the making of the operational guidelines for the implementation of the NTF-ELCAC. “You can never go forward without looking back to your glorious past and those who worked for Apayao’s development,” General Enginco said.
Another activity that highlighted the celebration was the awarding of recognition certificate to the Nagbabalayan Fisherfolks and Farmers Association (NFFA) as one the best DOLE assisted livelihood project in the region and top five in the national level by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The event came to a close with a groundbreaking ceremony for the projected EKB Park access road development project, followed by the blessing and turnover of the DA-PRDP-funded warehouse and Child Development Center (CDC) in Barangay EKB.
Source: Provincial Government of Apayao, Philippines FB Page
