‘Cordi autonomy to spur Cordillera development’

BAGUIO CITY – Regional autonomy will benefit Cordillerans because they will have greater control of the region’s rich resources with lesser restraint from outside forces and a permanent regional autonomy which are instrumental in speeding up the development in the countryside, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said here following the filing of House Bill 5595 entitled “An Act Establishing the Cordillera Autonomous Region.”

“Autonomy is for our children and our children’s children. We do not want them to be continuously suffering the difficulties in life which we are currently encountering because we do not actually have the full control of our resources and the administration of government policies,” Domogan said.

The mayor, who chaired the Third Autonomy Act Drafting Committee that crafted contents of HB 5595 said self-governance will allow the autonomous regional government to control the exploitation, utilization and development of the region’s rich resources.

According to him, the key to the immediate passage of the autonomy law will be the unity of the Cordillerans towards the direction of self-governance so that President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III will be convinced to certify that HB 5595 is an urgent administration measure that must be passed by Congress.

Originally, HB 5595 was principally authored by Baguio City Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara, Kalinga Rep. Manuel S. Agyao and Apayao Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang. Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat, Jr. and Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Dalog later signed the bill.

Aside from securing the President’s certification that the autonomy bill is an urgent administration measure, Domogan cited all local governments in the region, particularly the 76 towns, 6 provinces and two cities, and other groups pass the necessary resolutions supporting the immediate passage of HB 5595 so that it will serve as an added boost for Congress to fastrack the passage of the measure.

“WE have to give meaning and substance to the constitutional mandate of having an autonomous region in the Cordillera as contained in Article X, Section 15 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution,” Vergara stressed, asserting that all sectors must now get their acts together and facilitate the frequent conduct of grassroots consultations and information and education efforts to inculcate in the minds of Cordillerans the real essence of achieving an autonomous status.

The Cordillera autonomy bill is composed of 17 articles and 173 sections that evolve around five major principles such as the establishment of a permanent regional identity for the Cordillera, no reduction in the benefits and powers of local governments, nationally paid officials and employees will continue to be nationally paid, grant of a subsidy to the Autonomous Regional Government by the national government in the amount of P10 billion for the first five years and P5 billion for the succeeding five years and the continuous support of the national government to the Regional government after the expiration of the 10year subsidy period.

“The goal of a well-balanced and equitable development of the country, its various regions, more so the traditionally left out regions such as the Cordillera must be given the much needed attention it deserves and the same could be achieved with the establishment of an autonomous region,” Agyao added.

The Cordillera Administrative Region was organized by virtue of Executive Order (EO) No. 220 which was signed by former President Corazon C. Aquino on July 15, 1987 and it was meant to prepare the region for autonomous status.

Begtang pointed out achieving self-governance will surely allow the development of poor provinces within the autonomous region because of the expected huge share from the subsidy that could be utilized to improve roads and bridges which are vital in spurring economic growth and instrumental in improving the lives of the people in the far flung communities.