Bontoc – Mountain Province, together with 12 local government units in CAR, were recognized by the Regional Development Council’s Forwarding Local Autonomy Medal of Excellence (RDC-FLAME) for CY 2019 during the First Quarter RDC Council Meeting at the Abra Sports Complex in Bangued, Abra on March 12.

The FLAME awards body aims to recognize LGUs that excel based on their exemplary efforts towards achieving good governance and commend the dynamic participation of LGUs in regional development. According to the RDC-FLAME Awards Committee, the award serves as a mechanism to reward the valuable contributions of local government units towards advancing socio-economic development of the region, as well as recognize their active participation in the activities of the RDC-CAR such as the renewed pursuit of Cordillera autonomy.

The awards were divided into three categories namely: province and highly urbanized city, component city or 1^st to 3^rd class municipalities and 4^th to 6^th class municipalities.

The City Government of Baguio was awarded 1^st place under the province and highly urbanized city category while the Provincial Local Government Unit of Mountain Province was the only provincial LGU to receive recognition under the same category. Three municipal LGUs from Mountain Province – Bontoc, Paracelis and Bauko were also awarded under the 1^st to 3^rd class municipalities/ component city and 4^th to 6^th class municipalities categories. Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. and District II Board Member Salvador K. Dalang received the provincial award while Bontoc Mayor Franklin C. Odsey and Bauko Mayor Abraham B. Akilit were also present to receive their respective award.

Meanwhile, the other FLAME awardees are La Trinidad, Benguet (1^st place) and Buguias, Benguet for the 1^st to 3^rd class municipality category. Bukay, Abra; Lamut, Ifugao; Lagawe, Ifugao; Tublay, Benguet; Asipulo, Ifugao; and San Juan, Abra were awarded under the 3^rd to 5^th class municipalities category.

According to the RDC, the awardees were chosen by the RDC Regional Awards Committee based on the evaluations that were conducted by the Regional Assessment Team technical working group. It can be recalled that before the latest awarding, the FLAME awarding ceremonies were held in 2015 and 2016. Baguio City, Mountain Province and La Trinidad, Benguet were RDC-FLAME consistent awardees.

//Novy R. Afidchao and Erwin S. Batnag