It’s more fun in Benguet with the number of women legislators making their presence felt in the provincial and municipal legislatures.

The leading legislators are incumbent provincial board members Concepcion Balao and Florence Tingbaoen who were recalled by the electorate of District 2 in overwhelming fashion.

The two assured themselves of choice committees by placing first and second respectively for two of the six seats allotted in the second district. Both vowed not to let their supporters down by working for unity and cooperation.

Also making a statement for the distaff side is the municipality of Tuba that reelected Clarita Salongan as vice mayor and retained three incumbents – Rebecca Yaris Apil, Maria Luisa Carantes, and Adora Paus as councilors.

Sal-ongan said the women’s role as fiscalizers was probably one of the reasons why the people of Tuba wanted them at the municipal council.

Frustrated this time around are Kabayan outgoing councilors Madeline Meno-Salvino and Dorothy Sental who have a number of meaningful legislations to their names.

Meno-Salvino for instance was the author of resolutions that sought to return the position of head teacher to the Kamora National High School and that sought to authorize the mayor to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the University of Baguio on the scholarships granted by the school.

The first was to ensure that someone took care of KNHS’ administrative concerns in light of a large population and to serve as a motivation for personnel seeking promotion.

The MOA sought to ensure that the LGU comes up with a counterpart fund and to provide a system in monitoring student performance.

The municipality of Mankayan remained gender-sensitive as it reelected two incumbents in councilors Greta Almora and Evelyn Ayan who will be in their second term.

Bokod had also two on the distaff side in Marian Calawen and Hanalyn Oldico who are into their second term. Not to be outdone, Itogon retained its two women legislators in Annie Galiega and Flordeliza Depayso.

Kibungan had two legislators in reelected Vice mayor Aureiana Sacpa and councilor-elect Susan Atayoc.

In what seemed a tradition, Buguias reelected Bernadette Willie for the town’s lone lady legislator, the same slot allowed by Sablan which reelected Councilor Vilma Ringor.

The capital town of La Trinidad also reelected Estrella Adeban as councilor and recalled Edna Tabanda as its mayor so that’s quite a fair share for the women sector.

The towns of Atok, Tublay, Bakun, Kapangan, and lately Kabayan, meanwhile went for all-male legislative compositions this time around but some of their leaders said their concerns for the women sector have not diminished a bit.

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A letter-writer wrote to say that a hospital clerk who is facing several estafa cases was last seen campaigning for a municipal official in a neighboring province.

The writer added that in the interim, he has purchased several vehicles not in his name but in the name of a relative.

If we are to get the drift, part of the money he has reportedly absconded may have been spent by some public officials in that town.

This is one serious allegation that authorities should look into in fairness to all parties concerned.