LA TRINIDAD Councilor Pendon Thompson will serve anew in the Municipal Council of La Trinidad after he was re-elected on Friday, October 23, as the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR).

Thompson’s term as the IPMR representative is supposed to lapse this year but was unopposed during the selection on October 23 held at the Benguet capitol with the presence of Indigenous Peoples in La Trinidad, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and Benguet officials.

Thompson replaced Marcello Abella, the first IPMR of the valley, in 2017 after garnering 53 votes over his closest opponent.

He cited one of their plans to conduct a census in order to determine the total number of IPs in the town.

IPs living in La Trinidad include Kankana-ey, Ibaloi and Kalanguya.

Thompson will serve as the 10th member of the town’s legislative body.

In 2009, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) released guidelines for the IPMR and push local government units and communities the need to have an IP representative.

Under the guidelines for the selection of the IPMR under NCIP Administrative Order 1, series of 2009, all IPs living within the territorial jurisdiction of provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays must be duly represented in the selection process of the IPMR which must be done through customary laws.