With peace, Tabuk can be region’s next mighty city

by Harley Palangchao

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The mayor of this city appealed to his constituents to be instruments of peace, saying that Tabuk can maintain its monikers as the “hybrid rice” and “rice bowl” capital of the Cordillera region if the people are united.

This, as Tabuk City mayor Camilo Lammawin Jr. appealed to his constituents to take part in the efforts to address the reported rice shortage in the country.

Lammawin made the appeal in his speech during the first year anniversary of Tabuk’s cityhood and 7th staging of the Matagoan (Life) Festival.

But maintaining its prestigious monikers needs unity among the sub-tribes in this city, Lammawin said, as he urged his constituents to be part of the uphill bid to attain lasting peace in this city and in the province in general.

“It is better to sweat in peace than to bleed in conflict,” were the words of Lammawin, as he emphatically said that a peaceful community will hasten socio-economic development.

The mayor apparently wanted to impart to his constituents that peace and order and development go hand in hand, as he joined his constituents in celebrating what he described as a “new chapter” in the long history of Tabuk.

Noting that Tabuk City is gaining solid ground in hastening socio-economic activities, the mayor again challenged his constituents to be part of the peacekeeping efforts.

“Achieving (lasting peace) and order is a possibility but we should make it a reality,” Lammawin said.

He then said that united Tabukeños means having a united front that charts the destiny of the young city.

Lammawin’s challenge came two days after a grenade blast on June 22 almost dampened the opening day of the Tabuk City foundation day celebration and the Matagoan Festival.

Notwithstanding the terror attempt, Tabuk marked a historical event when it displayed Linudag or bamboo-cooked hybrid rice along the stretch of the national highway between Bulanao and Dagupan last June 24. It was a show of pride and glory as the “hybrid rice capital” in the Cordilleras.
While lack of funds blocked the plan to invite a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records to Tabuk, this young city is the first in the country to display cooked hybrid rice spanning to almost 3.5 kilometers.