BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (September 26)—The provincial board here has urged the municipal government of San Nicolas town in Pangasinan to stop building infrastructures in a village in Santa Fe town, which is part of Nueva Vizcaya.
In a resolution, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) under the leadership of its presiding officer, Vice Gov. Jose Gambito, urged the San Nicolas town to respect the boundary of each town and respect the rights of the Kalanguya tribe in Barangay Malico and their ancestral domain rights.
The SP in this province was in Barangay Malico in Santa Fe on September 21 and conducted a special session on the boundary issue between San Nicolas (Pangasinan) and Santa Fe (Nueva Vizcaya) regarding the boundaries to be set on Barangay Malico.
Gambito also noted that the SP-approved resolution urged the town of San Nicolas to only build their infrastructure projects outside Malico village and respect the memorandum of agreement (MoA) between the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria), Pangasinan, and Nueva Vizcaya.
Citing the MoA, the vice governor said Namria will conduct a relocation survey and erect boundary monuments between Barangay Malico in Santa Fe town and San Nicolas in Pangasinan province.
Gambito said the province has already provided 50 percent of the P1.2 million spent for the relocation survey and adjustment of Namria on the boundary between Santa Fe and San Nicolas.
However, Namria did not proceed with the relocation and adjustment because Pangasinan province failed to give its corresponding contribution, according to the SP.
Gambito said concerned government agencies and local government units will furnish copies of the SP resolution for their information and guidance.
Meanwhile, Santa Fe Mayor Liwayway Caramat, on behalf of the town and Malico village, expressed thanks to the SP for its support to resolve the said boundary issue.
Caramat said it was Region 2 Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources who offered assistance for the speedy resolution of the boundary issue between the towns of Santa Fe and San Nicolas over Malico village.
“We are hoping that this will be resolved as soon as possible to stop the encroachment activities in the said boundary,” the mayor said.