Sagada execs urge more autonomy consultations

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA Mountain Province -- The Sangguniang Bayan in their regular session here last week called for further consultations on the draft organic act of the third attempt for Cordillera autonomy.

In their resolution, the municipality’s legislative body chaired by Vice Mayor RichardYodong called for the need for more consultations before the proposed organic act is forwarded to Congress.

The SB resolution bewailed the short number of days to ask for comments from the municipality constituents on the proposed organic act drafted by the Third Autonomy Act Drafting Committee (TAADC) due July 22 to respond to the instruction from the earlier letter of provincial governor Leonard Mayaen .

Further comments should reportedly reach the TAADC chaired by Baguio mayor Mauricio Domogan on July 29.

Moves for Cordillera autonomy were foiled in two plebiscites with most constituents of Cordillera provinces declaring they didn’t want it with a no vote. Only the province of Ifugao voted Yes in a plebiscite in 1991 following the enactment of Executive Order 220 to pave the way for regional autonomy of the Cordillera.

Another attempt in a 1998 plebiscite had only Apayao voting Yes. The need for more information on what autonomy is all about was noted in a survey conducted by the Regional Development Council.

In December last year, municipal consultations were held conducted by the provincial sub-committee on the drafting committee chaired by Franklin Odsey. Earlier, Mayaen called for sectoral meetings September last year where five groups were identified: academe, NGOs/POs (women, farmers, youth, etc) religious, business, and elders which composed the sub-provincial drafting committee.

TAADC chairman Mauricio Domogan is trying to fast track the autonomy process before the national elections in 2013, yet congressmen are not that receptive about fast tracking the autonomy process. Cordillera congressional representatives Teddy Baguilat, Ifugao; Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, Apayao; Ronald Cosalan, Benguet and MaximoDalog, Mountain Province were all for consultations as noted during the Cordillera Month celebration at Tabuk City, Kalinga last July 15.

Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas in Baguio City also relayed during the July 15 celebration of Cordillera Month, that President Noynoy Aquino conveyed the need for further consultations, NEDA Officer Michael Umaming said.

NEDA is the secretariat of RDC, the body which oversees the regional autonomy process. A remaining P15 million was allotted for information drive.