MORE NEWS, APAYAO

Poor LGUs left out of projects due to favoritism – Gov. Bulut

LUNA, Apayao -- Gov. Elias Bulut Sr. criticized national government agencies in the Cordillera for allegedly playing favorites in implementation of impact programs and projects intended to spur economic development in remote areas like Apayao.

Bulut aired his displeasure during an out-of-town meeting here of the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera.

Bulut said Apayao, Kalinga, and Abra need more government-intervention projects to address poverty, but it seems some regional line agencies are still focused on giving priority to the needs of rich local government units such as Baguio City and Benguet.

Bulut, a former three-term congressman and three-term governor, said the construction of more roads linking remote areas to the neighboring provinces in Regions I and II should be given priority because this would benefit many people.

While there are road projects linking Apayao to Ilocos Norte and Apayao to Cagayan which are under way, Bulut said there is urgent need to pour in government resources on priority infrastructure development in less fortunate provinces.

Apayao and Abra have been listed by the Office of the President as among the 12 poorest provinces which should be the focus of attention of concerned government agencies.

If autonomy is the way towards speedy development in the rural areas, Bulut said, the third Organic Act to be drafted for the Cordillera self-governance should address the needs of the whole region and should not benefit only the rich provinces. "This is what is happening today," he said.

The veteran politician assured the support of Apayao for regional autonomy but said it should cater to the needs of all the people in the Cordillerans.

Apayao was the only province which favored the Organic Act which was submitted to the Cordillerans for ratification on March 7, 1998.

Bulut said the Cordillerans must be sincere to themselves in order to realize the constitutional provision calling for the establishment of regional autonomy so that they could chart the mode of development they want.

He said Cordillerans must not be fearful of small groups of individuals who claim to have influence over the region but they should be optimistic about the future.

The 1987 Constitution provides for the establishment of autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordillera.

In 2006, the Cordillera RDC decided to revive the quest for self-governance with a different approach, which employs the scientific method. – Dexter A See