Gov wants autonomy info funds given to barangays

By Alpine L. Killa

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Provincial Gov. Leonard Mayaen urged the national government to give directly to Cordillera barangays funds for information education campaign for regional autonomy saying they are the ones directly in contact with the people relative to the matter. 

Mayen bared this as he and Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey led signing of support to Cordillera regional autonomy during a provincial summit on the issue here April 22 which barangay captains attended .

The summit aimed to inform barangay officials on principles of regional autonomy and economic provisions of regional autonomy since they are partners of government in information education campaign (IEC) on features of proposed organic act on regional autonomy.

The summit aimed to answer queries of the public on regional autonomy being pushed in region. 

Odsey in his welcome remarks signified his support to regional autonomy encouraging barangay officials to help in informing r constituents need for Cordillera to become autonomous.

Mayaen in his message reiterated his support to regional autonomy. “I support autonomy based on the proposed organic act”, he said.

The governor said autonomy is for the good of the province, the Cordillera as a whole and its people.

Mayaen added the summit was conducted to inform and educate  barangay officials on the content of the proposed Organic Act and reason for the Cordillera to become  autonomous. 

The governor said with the summit, barangay officials could share to their constituents information they learned and understood relative to regional autonomy.

In addition, Mayaen proposed to National Economic Development Authority officials to present in the summit that the fund for the information education campaign on regional autonomy in the Cordillera be given by the national government  directly to barangay governments.

He said barangay officials have direct contact with their constituents since they all live in the community.

Thus, the barangay officials will be mobilized once the fund for IEC on regional autonomy will be downloaded to barangays.

Mayaen said the local government unit has its own fund to support in the information dissemination relative to regional autonomy in the Cordillera.

 Other speakers in the provincial summit were Jose Dado of NEDA, Mountain Province Provincial Task Force on Information Education Campaign on Regional Autonomy; chairman Claro Esoen and executive assistant Marcelino Balaso of the provincial governor’s office.