Benguet offers ‘sisterhood’ with N. Samar

CATARMAN, Northern Samar — The provinces of Benguet and Northern Samar are set to sign a “sisterhood” agreement that aims to bolster economic development for both provinces.

Northern Samar Gov. Edwin Ongchuan said he and other top officials of the province were invited by the Benguet provincial government in November this year where the highlight will be a signing of a memorandum of agreement for the “sisterhood” of the two provinces.

The “sisterhood” was proposed by Benguet provincial board member Marie Rose T. Fongwan-Kepes, chair of the provincial board’s Committee on Trade, Industry and Livelihood, during its recent four-day benchmarking trip here.

“We are proposing a brotherhood or sisterhood with Northern Samar so that in the future, our provinces can mutually extend help, pool our resources to boost our people’s livelihood, for example,” she said in an address to the Northern Samar officials.

Ongchuan and other Northern Samar officials including Vice Governor Clarence Dato and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members readily agreed.

Kepes said Benguet province has been looking for an excellent local investment model that it can replicate so that the province can reduce its dependence on the national tax allotment (NTA).

Kepes said Benguet provincial officials were inspired by the Northern Samar LIIC, especially its “Green Lane” initiative which provides for the streamlining of investment processes.

Ongchuan said the benchmarking visit of Benguet officials is a testament to Northern Samar’s strides in provincial economic development and investment promotion.

He said Northern Samar is also expected to benefit from the sisterhood agreement especially in the area of agriculture where Benguet’s advanced systems and practices offer lessons that Northern Samar can explore.