Palace backs autonomy bid
A MEETING with President Rodrigo Duterte has put the bid for autonomy in the forefront.
Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan with representatives from Abra, Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province and Apayao faced the president at the Palace Tuesday night in a show of unity asking for support in the move to create an autonomous cordillera region.
Duterte has agreed to support House Bill 5343 and label it as urgent in time for the convening of Congress along with the Bangsamoro Basic Law where Cordillera advocates hope to hurdle and be able to get funding for the plebiscite eyed for next year.
Duterte met Cordillera Congressmen, Governors, Mayors, Board members with the Regional Development Council to listen to concerns and priority projects aired by the group.
Domogan said if the Bill passes through Congress this year, a plebiscite could be mounted April of 2018 which will determine the region’s fate.
The mayor, who also chairs the Cordillera Regional Development Council admitted the effort is one of the last options of the region in its epic attempt to attain autonomy after two failed plebiscites in 1990 and 1998, stressing the urgency of the Congress approval to be able to get a chink in the budget to fund the plebiscite.
Domogan added sustained efforts in the information campaign for autonomy bid as well as a constant follow up with Congress is needed to set the ball rolling for the plebiscite.
House Bill 5343 “An Act Establishing the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera (ARC)” is seen by lawmakers as the most effective option to provide the region with the needed solid foundation to pursue sustainable development as the region hopes to benefit from the management and use of its natural resources.
It is believed, Cordillera autonomy will bring the national attention as well as the benefits of accepting and promoting cultural diversity through the formulation of multi-cultural policies for Indigenous Peoples (IPs).
Autonomy is aimed to enhance benefits and entitlements of government employees here establishing regional identity, and fast-tracking development, giving leaders the power to manage political affairs.
The quest for autonomy started in Executive Order 220 in 1987 which created the Cordillera Administrative Region with the Constitution providing that the autonomous region in the Cordilleras shall consisting of provinces, cities, municipalities and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant characteristics within the framework of the Constitution.
Domogan said the meeting with the president also included the construction of the Cordillera infrastructure program which aims to pave over 133 national and local roads spanning at least 98 kilometers.
The rehabilitation of the Loakan airport was also taken up which needs a P400 million budget to be made functional.