RDC sets activities for Cordillera autonomy

By Carlito Dar

BAGUIO CITY -- The Cordillera Regional Development Council has set into motion preparatory activities which include consultations and IEC (information, education and communication)  in preparation for a regional autonomy summit  set first quarter of 2014.

Last Nov. 17 and 18 at Asin Tuba Benguet, the Philippine Information Agency led media practitioners and national government agencies and local government information officers for a “media powwow” dubbed  “Cordillera autonomy, A revisit”.

The activity included, lectures and presentations on autonomy as catalyst for regional development, exchange of views, sharing of past surveys and studies on autonomy, as well as workshop activities.

On Nov. 19,  the RDC in cooperation with the  Cordillera Association of Regional Executives (CARE)  conducted an autonomy forum for  Cordillera executives here at Teachers Camp.

Cordillera RDC acting chair and National Economic and Development Authority regional director Milagros Rimando said  similar activities will be conducted for  local government  offices and sectoral groups in the region.

Through the pre-summit activities, they aim to provide more awareness on the pursuit for regional autonomy and development as well as to gather sentiments and inputs for the proposed autonomy bill which they hope to be re-filed in Congress by 2014.

Rimando said the RDC has set pursuit of regional autonomy as Cordillera’s main development thrust, as aside from the historical, cultural and legal mandate or basis, the council believes autonomy can address development problems in the region.

On the regional development context, she  said   that after 19 years as an administrative region, Cordillera lags behind in socio-economic development compared to the rest of North Luzon regions.  

The RDC believes that the pursuit of regional autonomy is the best strategy to accelerate development in the region as decisions on development policies, programs and projects will be crafted on the regional level, in such  way that it can address actual needs and priorities of the people.

Rimando said through autonomy, the region will have better control over its natural resources that would bring in additional revenues such as income tax revenue sharing and fees.

She added the region can also use alternative planning standards that are suited for Cordillera’s mountainous terrain and settlement pattern and address poverty reduction.

Rimando said social development infrastructure programs could be more effective as the region can consider local customs and traditions, terrain aside from climate that are unique  in  the Cordillera.