N. Cotabato to mark centennial anniversary

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines   – Authorities yesterday started securing the surroundings of the provincial capitol in Kidapawan City to ensure a peaceful celebration of the province’s 100th founding anniversary on Sept. 1.

Six hundred policemen and three platoons of Army soldiers will provide security for the event, according to Senior Inspector Ramel Hojilla, deputy director for operations of the provincial police.

The event, which coincides with the province’s yearly “Kalivungan Festival,” will be capped off with a street dancing parade,  paramotor gliding show,  bowling tournament,  musical concert, and other cultural programs organized by the office of Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza.

The festival will run from Aug. 25 to Sept. 1.

Hojilla said they would prohibit people with backpacks from entering the capitol compound in Barangay Amas starting Aug. 21.

Bomb-sniffing dogs and uniformed ordnance experts will also be deployed to secure the venue of the Kalivungan festivities, he said.

Josephine Abellana, tourism officer of the provincial government, said Mendoza allocated funds for the celebration.

Although known as North Cotabato, the official administrative name of the province is only “Cotabato,” whose 17 towns and capital, Kidapawan City, originally belonged to the American-era “Cotabato Empire Province.”

The empire province, established on Sept. 1, 1914,  covered the areas that are now North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces, and the chartered cities of Kidapawan, Cotabato, Koronadal, Tacurong and General Santos.

Despite the historical and geographical evolution the province had gone through, North Cotabato retained Sept. 1 as its founding anniversary.

Brig. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said he ordered the Army’s 602nd Brigade to help ensure the safety of guests and participants.

Representatives from the 6th ID will attend the event, Pangilinan said.