About MGD

A brief overview of the life of Atty. Mauricio G. Domogan

A TRUE CORDILLERAN

Born on October 10, 1946, Morris is a true Cordilleran who traces his roots to the remote sitio of Bab-asig, Patiacan, Quirino (formerly Angaki), Ilocos Sur and within the boundaries of Besao, Mountain Province and Tuba, Abra.

A SELF-MADE MAN

Orphaned at an early age, Morris and his sister Juana struggled to survive and overcome the hardship and many challenges during his youth. He hiked barefoot a two-kilometer trail to go to school everyday until he graduated at the Patiacan Elementary School in 1961. He did odd jobs at Lepanto, Mankayan, Benguet. He became a rondalla band member, a utility aide and janitor to support himself in college. He finished Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Baguio (formerly Baguio Tech) in 1969 and Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Cordilleras (formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation) in 1973. Remembered by his law professors as the student with a “splendid memory”, Morris took and passed the Bar Examinations given in the same year of his graduation.

A LABOR LAWYER

As a new lawyer, Atty. Mauricio G. Domogan embarked upon building a strong foundation in his law practice by working in defense of the rights of laborers. He worked as counsel for employees’ unions, such as the Lepanto Employees Union, the BPI Employees Union, the Baguio Country Club Employees Union, the Hyatt Terraces Employees Union, the Associated Labor Union, and the Pines Hotel Labor Union, among others. He rendered services as legal counsel to traders in the city market through the Domogan Law Office which he established.

A SERVANT-LEADER TYPE OF POLITICIAN

Morris began his political career as a Councilor of the City of Baguio from 1988-1992. Impressed by his humility, honesty, and genuine service, the people of Baguio elected him Vice-Mayor in May 1992. But as destiny willed, he never served as Vice-Mayor. Why? Because 15 minutes after taking his oath as Vice-Mayor, he took his oath as Acting Mayor. He served as Acting Mayor from July 1, 1992 to October 24, 1992, when he assumed as the real city mayor by virtue of disqualification of then mayor Jun Labo who was disqualified by the Supreme Court due to his being an Australian citizen.

Thus began the exciting and challenging service of the self-styled janitor of the City of Baguio.

MAYOR DOMOGAN AS JANITOR OF THE CITY OF BAGUIO FOR THREE (3) CONSECUTIVE TERMS

Domogan’s first term was marked by the start of the Herculean task of rehabilitating the City after the July 16, 1990 earthquake in cooperation with then Congressman Bernardo M. Vergara, the other city officials, city residents, and national leadership. Massive reconstruction of the city roads, buildings, and other infrastructures continued during his second and third terms. These included the modernization of Marcos Hi-way, the BAGUIO-TUBA-ITOGON-SABLAN-LA TRINIDAD (BLIST) Circumferential Road and the Naguilian Road, the repair, rerouting, declogging and construction of the drainage system of the City Camp Lagoon, among others.

 In addition, Mayor Domogan orchestrated the twin drive of CLEANING and GREENING the City making it the CLEANEST AND GREENEST HIGHLY URBANIZED CITY in the country for three (3) consecutive years elevating the City to the Hall of Fame Award category with a total monetary award of 5 million pesos which was used to purchase garbage trucks. Moreover, Mayor Domogan was able to lead the City in garnering the highest award that the national government could bestow to a local government unit, namely the GAWAD PAMANA NG LAHI AWARD for two (2) consecutive years, thereby elevating the City, once again, to the Hall of Fame Award Category.

In terms of Fiscal Performance of Baguio City during Mayor Domogan’s watch, he was able to raise the City’s Cash on Hand at the start of his term in 1992 from Php 86,946,517.12 to 604,202,448.54; the City’s Budget from Php 119,757,428.05 to Php 514,747,259.31.

MAYOR MGD, A STAUNCH ADVOCATE OF PRESERVING CORDILLERA CULTURE AND HERITAGE

He is a diehard advocate of the preservation of his cultural heritage. In fact, from 1965 to 1969, and from 1969 to 1973, when he took his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws respectively, he was one of the few during his college days who was a member of the BIBAK dance troupe in the City of Baguio. He was, and still is, not at all ashamed to wear his native costumes when needed and in fitting occasions.

All throughout his personal and public life, his advocacy for the preservation of his cultural heritage is apparent and unwavering. When he started his public service as City Councilor of the City of Baguio in 1988 he strongly made recommendations to the Division of Baguio City of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) to prioritize teaching our own cultural dances before learning other dances from other tribes in the Philippines and overseas.

He sustained and even improved his advocacy for the preservation of the Cordillera culture and heritage when he started serving as City Mayor in June 1992. In fact, in important occasions both in the City Government and National Government, he always makes it a point to wear his native costumes. He is one of the leaders that had been actively participating in the Gran Cordillera Festival in the City of Baguio and he did it again when they founded the Panagbenga Festival in 1995, unaware that what he has been doing is an excellent promotion of tourism in the City of Baguio. In such occasions, participation of students from Elementary, High School and College in the City of Baguio improved tremendously. Interestingly, like their city janitor, most of these students, also take pride in wearing their traditional costumes.

Due to his performance and advocacy for the preservation of Cordillera culture, he was a recipient of many awards, some of these are:

  • This was personally presented to him by President Fidel V. Ramos on the occasion of the 95 th Anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service on September 1995.

  • Awarded by the National Meat Inspection Commission Region I, Agoo, La Union on October 9, 1995.

  • Awarded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- CAR, June 5, 1995.

  • Given by the Department of Interior and Local Government at Clark Airbase, Pampanga in 1995.

  • Awarded by the Department of Tourism, September 27, 1996.

  • Philippines Cordillera Administrative Region, February 26, 1996.

    He may not have expected to become an awardee of the prestigious Select Outstanding Indigenous Leader (SOIL) of the Philippines with a cash reward of P30,000.00, but he believes such an award is heavily attributable to his passion and advocacy in helping preserve Cordillera culture.

    Significantly, when the highly coveted award was given to him in different places in Metro Manila, he was, as in many similar occasions, in his complete native attire.

MGD, A GOOD FAMILY MAN

On a personal note, Mauricio “Morris” G. Domogan is a loving husband to Mrs. Rebecca Napeek Domogan, and a doting father to three (3) daughters who in their own humble way are making a mark in their chosen careers: Janice Marie, a practicing lawyer, Jillian April, a U.S. Air Force personnel, and Joy Allison, a registered nurse.