July 14 non-working day in Cordillera: Autonomy advocates shift to federalism on 21st year

By Mike Guimbatan Jr.

BAGUIO CITY – Malacanang has declared July 14 instead of the original July 15 a special non-working holiday in the Cordillera to mark the 21st Foundation Day anniversary of the region, even as regional autonomy advocates are reportedly now shifting to federalism as an option for self-governance.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita signed Presidential proclamation 1551 making Monday a special holiday in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

The CAR was created July 15, 1987 as a result of a series of negotiations between the government then under President Corazon Aquino and former rebel priest Fr. Conrado Balweg.

Balweg signed with Aquino on Sept. 13, 1986 in Mt. Data , Bauko, Mountain Province the accord. Aquino later signed Executive Order No. 220 on July 15, 1987, which gave birth to CAR.

The CAR was supposed to be a stepping stone to make the Cordillera autonomous but after 21 years of existence, this was not attained.

Former autonomy advocates now consider the holiday as a celebration of 21 years of government neglect and failure to grant regional autonomy. Although the CAR is better today than it was 20 years ago in terms of social and economic development, the Regional Development Council and leaders of the late Fr. Balweg’s Cordillera People’s Liberation Army still believe that regional autonomy is the best way to lasting peace and progress.

The Cordillera electorate rejected two proposed autonomy laws in two plebiscites—on Jan. 30, 1990 and on March 7, 1998. Autonomy advocate Gabino Ganggangan said “it (autonomy drafts) was a government-sponsored law that was planned to fail.”

“Despite the good intent, the issue of Regional Autonomy has become so unpopular that even the earlier prime movers of autonomy shifted strategy by adapting a more prominent fderalism advocacy”, said Ganggangan, a former mayor of Sadanga, Mountain Province.

Leaders of the newly unified CPLA and its political arm, the Cordillera Bodong Administration agreed to pursue Cordillera autonomy’s political and economic development agenda this time, however, in a wider and broader scope through a federal form of national governance.

Lawyer Joel Obar, a former CBA chief executive and close aide of Balweg said the term autonomy has already lost its meaning after it has been misused, abused and tainted with several negative connotations. “Federalism is an answer,” he said.

Although Obar, moved residence to Dumaguete, he still encouraged present leadership of the CPLA and CBA to resume their passion for self determination and self-governance through federalism.

The Cordillera lawyer has become a former President of the Integrated Bar chapter and former dean of the College of Law of Foundation University in Dumaguete City.

He suggested a separate federal state also for the Cebuanos, the Ilongos and the Warays.

Newly-elected CPLA chief of staff Mando Mosing a.ka Mando who received the tokens from President Aquino during the Mt. Data peace accord said “federalism has been our stand even before the autonomy concept was introduced”.

“We have a unique resource base and cultural background…development efforts should start from here,” Ka Mando said.

At present, the upland region of the Cordillera is still composed of indigenous people in the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Mountain Province , Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao and Baguio City .

Each have diversified practices but with distinct and common cultural heritage, history, and aspirations.

Incumbent CBA President Marcelina Bahatan echoed Ka Mando’s argument but added other areas with distinct culture and resource might want to develop and be governed by their own unique way through a federal regional government.

A national movement to shift to a federal form of government is gaining ground with the proposal of maintaining eleven federal states: Bangsamoro (ARMM); Davao Region and Central Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao, Central and Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas-Palawan, Bicol, Southern Luzon; Metro Manila, Central Luzon; Cordillera and Northern Luzon.

“Each Estado (State) is an autonomous regional government of the Federal Republic . The territory of the different Estados is determined by a combination of geographic contiguity of their component areas, their ethnic, linguistic and other cultural aspects, and their socio-economic potential and viability,” the proposal stated.