If constituents go against autonomy: Baguio, Benguet will revert to Regions 1 or 2’

By Dexter A. See

TUBA, Benguet – The status of Baguio City and Benguet as to trade and tourism sites in the Cordillera will be eroded if the two local governments will not be included as part of the proposed Cordillera Autonomous Region and if the regional constituents will reject the third attempt to achieve regional autonomy.

            

Jerry Lab-uyan, general manager of the Cooperative Bank, a staunch advocate for regional autonomy, said the robust growth of business in Baguio and Benguet will significantly drop once the people will not ratify the third Organic Act during a scheduled plebiscite in the future.

           

 “We have to admit that if Baguio and Benguet will reject the autonomy law, we will have to go back to Region I where we will be again classified as second-class citizens since the two local governments will not be qualified to stand as a region,” Lab-uyan said.

           

He added it is only in Baguio and Benguet where there are numerous individuals who still refuse to understand the real essence of autonomy.

            

According to him, once Baguio and Benguet residents will reject the third autonomy law, the existing regional offices of the different national line agencies will be eventually transferred to the seat of the regional autonomous government that will be subsequently identified by the regional legislative assembly thereby depriving the two local governments of employment opportunities and sources of livelihood for the thousands of employees.

            

Lab-uyan said individuals and groups transacting with regional line agencies will be wasting time and resources in going to San Fernando City, La Union just to have their transactions completed unlike the present set up where all regional line agencies are based in Baguio and Benguet and that the temporary status of the region will simply be upgraded to permanent through autonomy.

            

“We are not resorting to a scare campaign when we inform the people that when Baguio and Benguet will reject the third autonomy law, both local governments will be automatically reverted to Region I which is a reality,” Lab-uyan added, citing that in case there are two or more provinces that opt to ratify the Organic Act, the region will be disintegrated.

            

Lab-uyan was one of the speakers on autonomy representing the private sector during the information and education campaign on regional autonomy sponsored by the Philex Mining Corporation held last Tuesday at the Padcal mine site.

            

Earlier, Gov. Nestor B. Fongwan announced his support to the renewed quest for regional autonomy by saying that he is comfortable working with the people in his region thereby breaking his long silence on the matter.

            

Lab-uyan said autonomy will not affect the current set up of the bureaucracy and the rights and privileges being enjoyed by local governments but it will establish the regional autonomous government that will be the one to supervise and coordinate the affairs of government in the Cordillera and that the region is allowed to craft its own suitable policies and programs in relation to pursuing the acceleration of socio-economic and infrastructure development.

            

He called on Baguio and Benguet residents to internalize the real essence of autonomy and not to be hoodwinked by the critics since they will be at the losing end once they commit a grave mistake in rejecting the third attempt towards self-governance.