March 28, 2024

The municipal council of Mankayan, Benguet has approved the creation of a historical council that will help account and protect the town’s rich history. 
In an ordinance authored by Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative Torriano Organo, the council will create the Mankayan Historical Research Council which would conduct a more extensive and focus-driven historical research.
“Past and prior essential research should be supplemented by the new associating historical research initiatives in order to establish well-grounded and formidable facts to reach up to date and confirming conclusions,” the ordinance reads.
The council would also help foster a sense of pride and unity among the residents through its in-depth research on the rich heritage of civilizations, ideas and value systems of indigenous communities and peoples.
The historical council shall be chaired by the mayor, co-chaired by the representative from the group of local historians and historical researchers/writers, and with members from the chairson the committees on indigenous people and education, municipal planning development office, budget officer, and municipal librarian.
The historical council shall take the lead in coordinating with local historians and writers, consultants and all those involved in historical researches of the town and to gather, collate, review, assess, evaluate, adopt and consolidate all existing and conforming local historical researches. 
The council shall also empower all stakeholders involved in historical researches for the locality through collaboration, including giving assistance to researchers in finalizing their research. 
Throughout the research phase, the council shall ensure that cultural sensitivity shall be consistently observed, that there should be a sustained increase in local participation and solidarity in the research.
It shall make sure to closely coordinate and collaborate with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and other similar bodies for alignment of purpose, programs and objectives, and to spearhead the formation of the Mankayan Local Historians and Historical Researcher/Writers. 
The council shall make sure to come up with a compilation of all reviewed and adopted historical researches covering the locality. It shall be the custodian of the records and documentations of all the researches and to make sure it shall be lodged to the municipal librarian or the MADIPO office.
To fund the historical council, a proposed fund of P300,000 shall be allotted annually.
The Benguet provincial board gave a favorable review of the ordinance. – Ofelia C. Empian