Mayoyao, Ifugao –Two weeks after holding here the 23rd mid-year congress and climb of around 135 mountaineers from across the nation, this town also hosted for the first time the 39th Provincial Boy Scout Jamborette with 1,600 contingents from the 11 municipalities of the province.
The said jamborette was held here from November 6 to 9, 2008 at the levelled ridge of the mountain range of Ottong in Barangay Banhal.
Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat Jr. who graced the occasion said in his speech during the opening program that he is glad Mayoyao was chosen as a venue because of its historicity, being one of the oldest towns in the province.
Aside from the town's historic value, Baguilat stressed the bayanihan spirit innate in the locals of Mayoyao which he mentioned as one of the important values boy scouts must possess to come up with good outputs.
Baguilat emphasized further to the scouts the love of culture because this makes Ifugaos stand out.
Meanwhile, Council Scout Executive Joel Lagayan admitted they experienced difficulties during the preparation of the said event due to lack of funds.
"At first, they thought we have funds but honestly, we've done necessary remedies for our mobilization to ensure that everything is well-coordinated and everyone involved is well-oriented," Lagayan said. "The reason why we did not give up was that we worked not for ourselves but for the kids of Ifugao especially that this is a program where we could impart in them the values necessary for their growth," he added.
Lagayan expressed his appreciation to the local government unit of Mayoyao for subsidizing the 50 pesos registration fee per participant and for their effort to prepare the venue, camp layout, the needed set-up for the obstacle challenge, and the food.
On the other hand, coordinating Principal Anita Guingayan expressed her worries that the participants might experience discomforts because they are away from their homes. However, most of the participants attested that they enjoyed the place and its native hospitality.
"We've felt how the locals exerted efforts to ensure that we are secured and in scouting, it is important to leave our comfort zones to test our spirit of perseverance and determination," said a scout master.
