Here’s the message of Congressman Eric Go Yap to the people of Benguet in celebration of 2025 Adivay Festival

Our beloved Governor, Governor Melchor Diclas, our Vice Governor, Vice Governor Marie Rose Fongwan-Kepes, our Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members, hindi ko na po kayo iisa-isahin.

To our Mayors, Vice Mayors, Councilors and Barangay officials. Also,
to our key officials from different agencies, department heads and employees of our province, to our former leaders and officials, isang masayang Adivay po sa ating lahat!
I would have wanted to be here. After all, this is the birthday of the province, the first one kung saan officially in effect na ang batas na kinikilala na ang Novermber 23 bilang isang non-working holiday in recognition of our true birth. But an equally important matter that requires my presence took my opportunity to be with you today.

Regardless, I am with you in spirit at sigurado po ako na masaya pa rin at makulay ang pagdiriwang natin ngayong araw.

Every November 23 is a mark of a new beginning, every November 23 we also celebrate and manifest another exciting and progressive year for our province. Every November 23 is a time to recommit to the promise of a better future, an invitation to everybody to
begin again. And every Adivay is a reminder of one truth; that we will rise higher when we rise together because we are built on shared dreams and shared sacrifices – from our ancestors to every family and individual who calls Benguet home today.

Kaya po excited tayo for a new beginning para sa ating lahat. This is just my sixth Adivay but it feels like I’ve been celebrating it more than that. Marami nang nagbago from my
first one, when you look outside, you can already tell the difference from few years ago and I am excited to see where this road can take us in the next couple of years. My remaining years as your Congressman will be devoted to development.

Just last week, pasado na sa Committee ang pagkakaroon ng BSU campus sa Kapangan, pasado din last week ang karagdagang Municipal Trial Court sa La Trinidad at marami pang ibang panukala na bibigyan natin ng importansya dahil naniniwala tayong makakatulong sa
ating probinsya. Nagawa na nating batas ang pagkakaroon ng College of Medicine sa Benguet State Univerity and next year, we are working on improved facilities for BSU
gaya ng pondo para sa College of Medicine and College of Nursing buildings, and also, a tartanized oval sa BSU gaya nang nakikita natin sa labas.

Moreover, we are confident that we will have funding in 2026 for approximately 313 new classrooms across 34 public
schools in the entire province. At marami pang iba that I will not elaborate for now para sa iba’t ibang aspeto gaya ng health, livelihood, tourism at iba pa.

I am committed to double my effort. Despite everything that is going on right now, I owe it to all of you to continue working.

Last week, when I went around different barangays, I was reminded of one simple truth: na marami pa rin nahihirapan at kailangan tulungan. Kaya nga gaya ng sinasabi ko, the challenges that I am facing right now pales in comparison sa dinaranas ng marami pa nating kababayan, yung mga gumigising ng maaga dahil malayo pa ang lalakarin, yung mga hindi sigurado kung kaya makapagpagamot kapag nagkasakit sila, yung mga walang pampa-aral ng anak, every family working hard and striving to have a better life or just to keep afloat. And will be here and I am not going anywhere until my last day. I may not be perfect, no one is and it will not define me, but it guides me to sharpen my judgement and strengthen my resolve to serve better. I always measure myself against myself, that I need to be better
than yesterday.

And I cannot do it alone. Marami pang kailangan gawin so there has to be a collective effort from everyone. So I call on everybody, our officials hanggang sa barangay level na alam na alam kong todo effort din sa trabaho – to always go the extra mile, take that extra
step, double our efforts and not put in just the bare minimum. Sa ating mga kailyan, don’t stop trying to be better and always extend a little kindness because it goes a long way. If we are embarking a new beginning, a change in mindset is essential – a mindset
that no one can do it all alone.

Again, we will rise higher when we rise together. We survived storms, earthquakes and the harshest trials but we always choose to stand
up again, hindi lang dahil wala tayong choice kundi tumayo ulit but also because resilience is our greatest heritage. It was instilled in us. But resilience alone will not bring
us there. Opo, mahirap at marami pang kailangan gawin pero punong puno ako ng pagasa. In every sunrise over our mountains is a lesson that no matter how cold the night was, hope always rises. And when I look at our officials, itong mga nasa harapan, I know
that Benguet is in good hands for many many years to come.

Our Governor and Vice Governor are among the best in the country at their jobs, marami po akong kilalang
Gobernador at Bise, and I am proud to say na mapalad tayo for having these two officials at the helm. Ganun din ang ating mga Board Members, sobra ang bilib ko sa inyo and one day, one of you will be among the three highest officials of our province, and I have so much faith in you that you will do good, kilala ko kayo, you’ll be fine. But time will
come na maaaring hindi kayo nasa iisang linya ng partido, perhaps baka maging magkakalaro pa kayo sa pwesto, but always remember that politics should not be a way of life dahil isang araw lang ang election, do not let politics ruin what matters most –
which is your relationship with each other and with the community you are serving.

Benguet needs people like you. Our province will be fine. In the quiet strength of our elders, in the determination of our youth, and in the kindess of our communities – I see
the future of Benguet, a future that will be built together, choice by choice, effort by effort and sacrifice by sacrifice.

Benguet is destined for great things, we are no longer a sleeping giant. La Trinidad will be a City few years from now, konting push pa sa income at population but we’ll get there.

Kailangan lang magkaroon ng tamang plano to cope up with the cost of
development like congestion and peace and order. I think Itogon should be an
industrialized City too, there’s so much potential in Itogon. Buguias and Mankayan should have no problem driving our local economy in the north. Kabayan will have its own district hospital in the near future, and I am working for the enactment of my
proposal in Congress for this. Atok and Tuba will be our tourism gems, sobrang ganda ninyo. Ganun din ang Bakun, Kapangan, Kibungan at Tublay, you are a potential adventure chain of our province with so much things to enjoy for our tourists and adventure-seeking people. Sablan have so much to offer, let us take advantage of your geography.

Bokod will continue improving by leaps and bounds and you will capitalize
on your natural beauty to boost our local economy. But please let us not allow anybody to be displaced by big corporations and businesses. I am pro-development but at what
expense? We should always ask, who should benefit from this development and at what cost? For whom is development? Huwag po natin hayaang masira ang environment at ganda ng probinsya in the guise of development and job creation. And in our efforts to
promote tourism, we will not invite them para lang magpa-picture tapos aalis na, we have to make them stay and spend sa ating mga tourist destinations, kailangan kumita
ang local vendors, ang local restaurants and tourism should benefit local businesses.

Benguet is a beautiful and marvelous place but what makes us endearing is our people, you are our greatest asset. As mentioned earlier, we need all hands on deck para tulong tulong sa mga parating na pagbabago. We are soaring, and we do not have to limit ourselves, we deserve everything that bigger provinces enjoy.

Apologies if again, napahaba po ang ating mensahe. I just missed addressing all of you. In a way, nakakamiss ang panahon ng kampanya, I don’t miss the politics, but I miss the non-stop invitation for me and the camaraderie and relationships we built. Those will be forever treasured in my heart. One more thing, Board Member Manny Fermin, brother, we miss you everyday. I miss our simple dinner at kwentuhan sa likod ng bahay niyo. It hasn’t been the same without you. This is our first Adivay na wala ka and it feels so different. Alam ko na you’re smiling down on us right now, Happy Adivay Mayor Manny!

Lastly, allow me to thank all of you. You have no idea kung paano ako pinapalakas ng
pagmamahal na binibigay ninyo. Every text message, every tap in the back kapag umiikot tayo, it keeps me going. In times when the world feels overwhelming, you teach me to be calm. You are all appreciated, seen, heard and valued, at maraming maraming salamat sa lahat ng pagmamahal at tiwala.

Happy 125th Adivay Festival to all of us! It’s a new year for our province, a new
beginning. Mabuhay po tayong lahat at mahal na mahal ko po kayo.