FROM HILL TO HALL, DICANG MOVES TO BAGUIO SESSION HALL FROM LOWER QUIRINO HILL

June 28, 2025 Community Billboard

FROM SK TO COUNCILOR. Soon to be installed councilor Van Dicang pose with soon to sit congressman Mauricio Domogan before their proclamation early May 13 at the Baguio Convention Center. The two will be inducted Monday to office.

PML

Denied a seat 19 months ago when he lost by a mere six votes in the Association of Barangay Council (ABC) presidential election, Lower Quirino Hill punong barangay Van Dicang will finally make his move to the Session Hall on Monday when he will be inducted into office with the 11 other winning councilors, including two other newbies like himself. “Finally, I get to serve as a councilor,” said Dicang, who will be among the five “new” local legislators when the new City Council convenes on July 7. Dicang lost a narrow election to ABC president Rocky Aliping in November 2023. The six votes came from then aspiring new Pucsusan barangay chief Karl Gabaen, who stepped down to give way to Aliping, with his small block tipping the balance for the latter.

Gabaen claims that he gave way after agreeing to Aliping’s offer that he would step down when he filed for a regular city council seat but allegedly reneged after the latter’s brother, former Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr., ran for congressman. “It is nice to see him (Dicang) there (city council),” said Aliping of his former fellow barangay chair. Dicang said that he had no plans of running for a city council seat but was egged on by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who earlier backed him in his ABC presidency bid. “He had given me so many tasks that resulted in me filing for councilor,” he told this writer moments before he was proclaimed as councilor early morning on May 13 and before taking a photo with soon-to-sit congressman Mauricio Domogan.

“He was mayor when I was a Sangguniang Kabataan chair then,” he added, as he took position left of the g-string wearing Domogan, who eased to the position by nearly 13,000 votes. Dicang who receivedvarious national as barangay chair, Van Dicang is bringing his many years of service as a Sangguniang Kabataan chair and barangay chair to the city council to serve more than 200,000 Baguio residents. Dicang earned 49,434 votes to top the bottom six of the elected 12 council members. He led his fellow newbies by 790 and 2,380 votes, respectively. Paolo Salvosa, of the University of the Cordilleras family, garnered 48,544, while Yuri Weygan, grandson and nephew of former councilors Galo and Philian, polled 47,054 to place 9th and 11th.

They sandwiched veterans Fred Bagbagen and Betty Lourdes Tabanda, 8th and 10th, respectively, and ahead of tailender and veteran Elmer Datuin. While the top six of Edison Bilog, Joel Alangsab, Jose Molintas, Leandro Yangot Jr., Vladimir Cayabas, and Peter Fianza received votes in the area of 50,000, the lower six tallied south of that number but not less than 46,000. Last June 16, the graduating councilors—Benny Bomogao, Mylen Yaranon, Arthur Alad-iw, Isabelo Cosalan Jr., and Lilia Farinas—along with outgoing city administrator Bonifacio dela Peña, were given a send-off after the Monday flag ceremony. Alad-iw and Farinas did not run, while Cosalan, Bomogao, and Yaranon ran for congressman, mayor, and vice mayor, respectively, but lost. Alad-iw is expected to be back in office in another capacity, reportedly near the mayor’s office. The 12 councilors will be inducted along with Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, and the comeback congressman Mauricio Domogan, who, against all odds, won as two early favorites imploded.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN