Apayao beauty queen Kristeen Mae Boccang joins Miss Universe PH 2023 pageant

Photo Courtesy || Kristeen Mae Boccang

Cordillera - The Miss Universe Philippines organization has announced Kristeen Mae Boccang to replace Evangeline Fuentes after the latter withdrew from the pageant. 

The 23-year-old Psychology graduate from Conner, Apayao will be representing the province of Apayao in the 4th edition of Miss Universe PH.

Miss Boccang is the first iApayao to join the prestigious event. Prior to joining Miss Universe PH, she was the 2nd Runner-Up in the Dayag ti Apayao 2023     pageant. 

She was also crowned the Binibining Conner Tourism 2022 and crowned the Panagbunga Festival Queen in 2017.

Asked about her motivation in joining the national pageant, Miss Boccang wanted to take this opportunity to represent her province and country and to become an inspiration to her fellow iApayaos.

“I joined Miss Universe because it was a dream of mine to represent my beautiful province of Apayao and introduce it the rest of the Philippines. It would be the very first time for Apayao to join a national pageant and I hope that by joining I would be able to inspire my fellow yApayao and let other people know of where and what Apayao could offer to everyone,” Kristeen said.

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Cordilleran from Apayao top 1 in February 2023 Respiratory Therapy Licensure Examination

Photo Courtesy || Flora Apayao LGU

Cordillera - A proud Cordilleran from Apayao province is among the topnotchers of the recently concluded Board Examinations for Respiratory Therapist.

Hiyasmin Cortez Ramos who hails from Poblacion, West, Flora, Apayao tops the 2023 Respiratory Therapy Licensure Examination (RTLE) with a passing rate of 90.75.

The local government of Flora has expressed its felicitations to Ramos, a graduate of Cagayan State University (CSU) for bringing pride and holding high the banner of the province.

“Thank you for bringing pride to the Floranians and holding high the banner of the province by clinching the Top 1 Rank during the February 2023 Licensure Examinations for Respiratory Therapists. The Municipal Government Unit of Flora is very proud of you,” the LGU post reads. 

Aside from Hiyasmin, there were also four more who are in the Top 1 spot which includes Elain Fleur Usman Fino from the Emiliio Aguinaldo College – Dasmariñas, Shiara Lynneth Ludovice from the University of Perpetual Help System – Laguna, Michael Josef Maglantay Ramos from the University of Batangas and Prince Joshua Guzman Caraga also from the Cagayan State University - Andrews Campus.

Cagayan State University - Andrews Campus is the top performing school in the Respiratory Therapist Licensure Examination with a 100% passing rate with all of the 133 examinees passing the exams.

The PRC released this result yesterday, February 8 with 955 total number of passers nationwide out of 1,345  examinees.

source || Local Government Unit of Flora Apayao, Philippines

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Look: Beautiful Christmas Lights Decoration in Calanasan, Apayao

Photo Courtesy || Calanasan, Apayao

Cordillera - It's Christmas in Cordillera. Take a look at these photos of Christmas Light Decoration in Calanasan, Apayao. 

Do you have photos of beautiful Christmas decorations in your municipality, share them to us on our official Facebook page.

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Four provinces in Cordillera pass good financial housekeeping standards

Cordillera - Four provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) passed the good financial housekeeping (GFH) standards for the year 2019 as announced by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

In the official list released on January 31, 2020, Abra, Apayao, Benguet and Mountain Province in CAR were among the passers of the GFH standards. 

In the city Category, Baguio city made it to the list and for the municipal category, 22 municipalities of Abra were included. 

All of the local government unit and the provincial government passed the qualification based on COA's audit and compliant to the full disclosure policy (FDP) by posting requirements in three conspicuous places for the last two preceding quarters and compliance with the FDP on the FDP portal for the last two preceding quarters.

Passing the GFH standard will have a bearing in the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awards. It it the number one criteria in selecting the winner for the SGLG award. 

According to PNA only 89 percent of the total LGUs in the country have passed the GFH. There were total of 1,706 LGUs throughout the country that were assessed, of which only 1,522 have passed.

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Apayao PMA graduates encourage fellow youth to follow their footsteps

Photo courtesy: RMC-PIA CAR

Baguio City-  Recently commissioned  Arm Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officers from Apayao encourage their fellow youth to follow their footsteps and join the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

"Sa mga kabataan sa aking bayan ng Apayao, nauna na kami sa PMA, at sana kayo naman ang sumunod" Tugaoen said during an interview after the graduation ceremony.

Iapayao's pride Navy Ensign Mike Tugaoen from Luna and 2nd Lieutenant Dexter Tucrang from Kabugao  who are both members of the 261-strong PMA "MABALASIK" class of 2019 graduated on May 26 at the Fort Del Pilar.

Navy Ensign Mike Tugaoen
 Photo courtesy: RMC-PIA CAR

Tugaoen who hails from Turod Luna and will be joining the Philippine Navy had a simple life but with a dream to join the military. His ambition to become a peacekeeper of the country and to help alleviate the  living standard of his family are among his reasons to join the PMA.

"Pangarap ko talagang maging sundalo para makatulong sa bansa at syempre para matulungan ko din ang pamilya ko na umangat sa buhay," Tugaoen said.

His desire to become a soldier of the country's armed forces to defend the people and the country came about with the history of his hometown in Marag Valley which was once called "no man's land".  This was back in the 1970's when the New People's Army (NPA) took the Valley as their stronghold.

He decided to take the PMA entrance exams and passed while on his 3rd year in Criminology  at the University of the Cordilleras (UC) in Baguio City. After four years of Academic and training in the Academy, his dream to become a soldier, a junior military officer has been fulfilled.

Meanwhile, another Iapayao's pride Dexter Tucrang from Publacion, Kabugao also aspired to become a PMA cadet and soldier to ensure peace and order in the country. He was a graduating Engineering student at Saint Louis Tuguegarao back then when he entered the PMA in 2015.

2nd Lieutenant Dexter Tucrang
Photo courtesy: RMC-PIA CAR

Tucrang was a scholar of the Provincial Government of Apayao under the programs initiated by Governor Elias Bulut, Jr. and Congressman Eleanor Begtang and eventually a scholar  at the PMA. Being a scholar made him study hard, exceed expectations and strive to graduate.

"Take the PMA challenge and enter the road less traveled; enter the noblest profession," Tucrang said as an encouragement to the younger generations of Apayao.

He already helped his parents and siblings in their daily lives by becoming a cadet which he would still do now that he became a fully pledged member of the AFP as 2nd Lieutenant of the Philippine Army.

"Super proud ako. Parang nanalo ako ng sweepstakes sa saya ko," Robert Tucrang cried while hugging his son, Dexter, at the graduation grounds.

For Tucrang, he fulfilled his father's dream of having one of his children graduate from the premiere military school in Asia.

Mayor-elect Bensmar Ligwang of Kabugao expressed his joy for having a  PMA cadet graduate hailing from their remote municipality.

"I am very happy we have the first PMA graduate from Kabugao and I even witnessed it personally at the PMA grounds. This  gives pride to our municipality and even to the province of Apayao and we will be giving recognition for this accomplishment," Ligwang said.

The provincial government of Apayao will be recognizing the two new graduates who gave pride to the Iapayaos and served as an inspiration to the youth.

source || PIA

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