RDC reveals Cordillera Month events in provinces

By Marlo T. Lubguban

BAGUIO CITY – Activities in celebration of Cordillera Month this July was recently bared be the Regional Development Council.

The RDC infrastructure committee, chaired by DPWH-CAR regional director Tiburcio Canlas and the Provincial Government of Kalinga, represented by former Kalinga Vice Gov. James Edduba presented  activities for the month-long during a media forum held June 26.

The RDC InfraCom and Kalinga local government will lead the celebration of 32 years of the Cordillera Administrative Region and its pursuit of regional autonomy with the theme, “Building One Greater Cordillera”.
              The theme is a celebration of the significant gains the region has attained in the 32 years since becoming an administrative region while also recognizing the potential for a “greater” Cordillera through regional autonomy.
Edduba said regional autonomy is one of the Cordilleran’s “unfinished fights”.
DPWH-CAR district engineers discussed updates on infrastructure development throughout the region.Currently, 90% of more than 2,200 kilometers of national roads of the region are already fully paved, said DPWH CAR planning chief Angelita Mabitazan.

Edduba detailed the events to be conducted in the province as a lead host.

              The Cordillera Unity Gong Relay will kick-off in Tabuk City on July 9. The Unity Gong will make its way around the region accompanied by DPWH, DILG, and NEDA, and other delegates of the RDC and LGUs. It will return to Tabuk on July 14 in time for the Cordillera Weave Fashion Show and Cordillera leaders’ fellowship night which will feature indigenous food prepared by the Pasil Slow Food Community. A parade of the provinces and regional line agencies will mark the beginning of the culminating day on July 15.

Each RDC sectoral committee is assigned for a specific day in the Unity Gong Relay.

               The watershed and environment management committee, chaired by DENR, will head a tree-planting activity in Flora, Apayao on July 9. Tree-monitoring activities will also be done in each province during the relay to see the progress of trees planted in past relays.

Tree-planting has been a major part of the Gong Relay since it started in 2012.
The development administration committee will hold a tax amnesty and tax update seminar led by BIR in Bangued, Abra on July 10.

The committee on indigenous peoples’ concerns, led by its chair, NCIP, will hold gong-playing and traditional dance or tayaw workshops for the stops in La Trinidad, Benguet and Baguio City on July 11 and 12, respectively.

A trade fair will be led by the economic development chair, DTI, in Bontoc, Mountain Province on July 12.

The social development committee will provide a one-stop shop assistance for senior citizens in Lagawe, Ifugao led by DSWD and CHED on July 13.

Committee chair and DSWD regional director Janet Armas said they will be joining the relay to provide services to senior citizens and assist DENR in monitoring the trees planted.

The host, infrastructure committee through DPWH, will showcase the region’s infrastructure gains through a video presentation prepared for the culmination in Kalinga on July 15.

To keep updated with the Unity Gong Relay and more Cordillera autonomy information, the NEDa urged readers to follow the official page for the renewed pursuit for Cordillera autonomy, One Cordillera.