Going autonomous

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Asug is a cultural practice of the people of Balugan, one the oldest settlements of this culture-rich town.

It is done by convincing one of the benefits and the goodness of any decision one takes on anything introduced by another, for example, using one’s property for public purposes.

And so Manong Martin Bagcalang of Balugan, chairman of the then Pide Dap-ay Association (PDA) now transformed to a wider group, shared in an interview, what asug means in the context of one introducing an improvement in a community. With the making of a road from barangay Ambasing to sitio Pide of Balugan barangay in the early 80’s, PDA has to do asug to some members of the community who don't want their lots taken for the road opening.

Manong Martin said the organization with majority of the members of Pide cannot proceed even with one not convinced and her lot used for the proposed road. Not until the benefits to the community had been rationally let known to the complainant and just compensation given for the value of the land that the complainant gave in. That is to say, asug does not come in a minute or two. It takes time to make asug to one to come to an informed decision intelligently, freely, and rationally arrived at.

The case above illustrates the act of being one in community and one seeing the advantages and benefits of his/her decision for the good of the people of the village. It talks of a belonging with other members of the ili (community)and the belonging arrived at in unity with the ili.

Comes now the provision of the proposed organic Act to establish the Cordillera Autonomous Region herein particularly found in Article XV1, Section 163, par (b): “The province or city which vote unfavorably in the plebiscite shall revert to their mother region prior to the establishment of the Cordillera Administrative Region.”

By the way, said working draft by the Third Autonomy Act Drafting Committee (TAADC) chaired by Baguio mayor Mauricio Domogan, has been adopted by the Regional Development Council (RDC) in RDC Resolution No. CAR-20 s. 2011 , in a special meeting last October 13, 2011.

Benedict Solang, founding member of the militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) finds Section 163 (par b) divisive. CPA which earlier lobbied for the inclusion of an autonomous government of the Cordillera region in the 1987 constitution of the Philippines envisioned a REGIONAL autonomous government with the Cordillera peoples as distinct indigenous peoples within a Philippine state having the right to self-determination to decide on their political, social and economic status and well being.

Solang then sees the basic framework of considering in totality all the provinces of the Cordillera to be ONE considering the distinct general similarities of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, and Kalinga on their customary practises and beliefs.

The general similarity of culture being a basic consideration in a Cordillera regional set up going autonomous clearly sees the commonality of peoples living within contiguous territories to come together and govern themselves as one region.

I therefore find funny and absurd that provision not including one province among Cordillera provinces which does not vote favorably to a plebiscite for a regional autonomous government, whenever such shall be declared.

What we call a Cordillera region then becomes dismembered and fragmented with one who votes unfavorably going to either Region 1 or 2 where such province formerly belongs before said five provinces became a Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)! Sowing this divisive framework already defeats the very purpose of an autonomous REGION.

Obviously where an earlier survey by RDC finding at least 40% of those surveyed did not know what autonomy is all about says Cordillera people need to be convinced. That is, how could one intelligently come up with a decision whether to say yes or no where one is not totally convinced?

Congressmen Theodore Baguilat of Ifugao, Eleanor Bulot -Begtang of Apayao and Ronald Cosalan of Benguet along with the people of Mountain Province as had been noted in previous consultations, clearly forward the need for further consultations in barangays and among sectors to be informed, clarified and forward recommendations to such proposed organic act. This affirmation is loud enough to be heard.

What does it take to give in to regional autonomy and what benefits can the people and the provinces get? Such can be noted with enough information and consultations conducted with and among the peoples concerned. And more importantly, what does it take for people to participate and find themselves in this autonomous set up considering the political framework of the initiative?

Ben Solang says even if the autonomy process shall go for a long time unless and until the people are ready and are able to govern themselves that regional autonomy can be achieved.

Founding member of the CPA, Joanna Carino says organized communities are crucial in a regional autonomous set up. It is a question then to ask first of all how ready and organized communities are to be able to govern themselves as a self- determining people in their respective communities. With the giving of an free prior and informed (FPIC) to an introduced project for example. Are the people empowered as a community to state what they want? Or do they give in to the statement of the barangay captain or a few barangay officials or the elected municipal mayor and consider their decision as the all of what the community is?

What gives for the draft autonomous organic act for Congress to act on and a plebiscite to be conducted apparently within this three- year political term? Where the process calls and demands for further consultations on working draft, is better that it shall be done before such is forwarded to Congress.

That is, where the people shall just say yes or no to a plebiscite is inviting another failure. It would be
good to learn from how the people of Balugan do asug.