Town culminates festival of love and unity

KIAMBA, Sarangani (February 16, 2010) – Sarangani’s “Island of Paradise” culminated its week-long celebration of love and good governance on Valentine’s Day.

The town is on its 62nd Foundation Anniversary and 6th Timpuyog Festival. Timpuyog is the local term for unity among the Kiambans.

“Let us strive to unite ourselves as Kiambans and aspire to have a better life with this,” Mayor Rommel Tomas Falgui said.

This year is dubbed as “Maging Kiambayani, Makipag-Kiambayanihan”. Kiambayani is a yearly award whose recipients are students, teachers, public servants, professionals and workers nominated from different sectors as good examples of the community.

“It’s exciting and the feeling is great. I always take trials as challenges in my life,” Kiambayani awardee Mildred Ramos, a principal, said.

“Lubos kaming nagpapasalamat kay Mayor Rom dahil binigyan nya ng pagkakataon ang tribu na magkaroon ng magandang pamumuhay sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng hanapbuhay sa amin,” municipal councilor and tribal representative Jaime Fado said.

Kiamba was created as a municipality by virtue of Executive Order 82 issued by President Manual Roxas on February 14, 1947. Its aborigines are the Tagabili, now called the Tbolis, and Ilocanos from Luzon who found their love for agriculture here.

Kiamba is called the province’s paradise island because of its captivating views and greeneries, waterfalls, marine sanctuary and eco-cultural tourism.

Governor Migs Dominguez said “Mayor Rom is the best performing mayor in Sarangani.” In just more than two years, Falgui has implemented more than P300 million worth of infrastructure and livelihood projects to the town’s far-flung communities.

“More important than the present, we always aim for our better future. We can only achieve this with the passion and commitment of our leaders,” Governor Dominguez said.

The provincial campaign for better education QUEST (Quality Education for Sarangani Today) supports the municipal government’s Comprehensive Learning Assistance and Support for Schoolers by Mayor Rom (CLASSROM) with its 1:1 pupil-workbook ratio for Grades I and II. (Russtum G. Pelima/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)