LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza
‘Awan itono mi’

BOKOD, Benguet -- The municipality of Bokod in Benguet junked last week a proposal to resurrect the creation of the Cordillera Autonomous Region. They dropped it saying, it would “entail the disbursement of public funds which could be used for priority projects.”

Their resolution cited a good and legitimate reason. In other words, they were saying “awan itono mi!” And who knows, that may be the sentiment common among all LGUs that, in a worldwide economic slump, prioritize programs that would cater to food for their constituents rather than get involved in other matters.

Apparently, this is Bokod’s reaction to a move by the Benguet provincial board that forwarded to the 13 towns a request by the Cordillera Regional Assembly for the LGUs to support through resolutions the filing of another bill for the creation of an autonomous region.

But according to Director Juan Ngalob of the NEDA-Cordillera, the Cordillera Executive Board (CEB), the Cordillera Bodong Administration and CRA were deactivated by Malacanang by simply not allocating them new operational budgets.

Even the corresponding staff and other personnel of these bodies were retired from government service and received their separation benefits, Dir. Ngalob further said. The three Cordillera bodies were created under EO220 of Tita Cory.

To avoid a vacuum in the absence of the Cordillera bodies and in order to insure continuity in the process, Malacanang tasked the Regional Development Council to carry on with the autonomy agenda.

The remaining 12 Benguet towns and all the rest of the LGUs in this mountain region have yet to write their respective resolutions. When they have done so, they will have to direct these to the RDC.

Although late as it seemed, Malacanang may have been advised that the personalities involved in the three deactivated Cordillera bodies, in one way or another, drew the ire of sectors that campaigned against autonomy.

But in fairness to the defunct CRA, its move to request the LGUs for resolutions, in connection with the autonomy agenda, is laudable. This should have been the move prior to the first plebiscite in 1990.

With a considerable number of Cordillera LGUs issuing their respective resolutions for or against autonomy, we could have had an initial assessment of where the matter stood – or where we stood, at least.

On the other hand, the diverse statements of the LGUs in the Cordillera in connection with the autonomy agenda are genuine sentiments that can not simply be dismissed.

No doubt, there appears to be an undying call, genuine or not, for the resurrection of an autonomous Cordillera region that has already been rejected in two plebiscites. No-nonsense issues continue to hound the ‘clamor’ but the questions that people always wanted to ask are “who are the individuals or groups clamoring to resurrect the move for autonomy – and why?” Sino dagita mangidurduron ti autonomy? Apay ngata?

The Constitution mentions about the establishment of autonomous regions in Mindanao and the Cordillera. The provision was inserted by our leaders in the past, considering that the mountain provinces and their people, even while they shared common features that are distinctly Cordilleran, were not united under a single region.

The Cordillera provinces were either lumped with the Ilocos region or the Cagayan Valley region. The Mindanao provinces, occupied by Moros, Muslims, Lumads, Christians and non-Christian tribes were also mixed up.

But is the Constitutional provision the only reason behind an ‘undying call’ for autonomy, or are there more genuine reasons for all Cordillerans to unite?

Is it really necessary that we unite under an autonomous set up? There are sectors in the region who want to be established under a regular region. What about federalism as proposed by Senator Pimentel and supported by Malacanang? What could be the advantages and disadvantages of the various forms of regional government set up?

Except for those who were kept in the dark or were never informed about the autonomy agenda, several parts of the region, especially the populated centers, are longing for answers.

An honest to goodness info-drive and consultation in all corners of the Cordillera is in order. Let us hope the answers during the consultations are presented side by side on matrix so that those in attendance could have a better grasp of the discussions.