Cordillera solons file autonomy bill

Senate to file counterpart bill 

By Erlindo Agwilang  

QUEZON CITY -- For the fourth time since the rejection of two organic acts that earlier sought to create an autonomous region for the Cordillera Administrative Region, House Bill 5687 entitled: “An Act Establishing the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera,” was personally filed by CAR legislators of the 18th Congress. 

Introduced and authored by Representatives Maximo Y. Dalog Jr. of Mountain Province, Joseph Sto. Nino Bernos of Abra, Elias Bulut Jr. of Apayao, Solomon Chungalao of Ifugao, Marquez Go of Baguio City, Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang of Kalinga and Nestor Fongwan of Benguet, six Cordillera congressmen simultaneously gathered at the bills and index department of the House of Representatives here on Dec. 2 to jointly file the said bill.

Fongwan was not able to join and sign the House measure as he was reportedly attending to district concerns in his home province at the time of the filing.

In their explanatory note, the lawmakers cited Section 15, Article X of the 1987 Constitution which provides for the creation of autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras that will consist of provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas sharing common historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures and other relevant characteristics.

“Pursuant to this mandate, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was created in 1989 through Republic Act 6374. In 2001, Congress passed Republic Act 9054 to expand the territory and powers of the ARMM. During the 17th Congress, Republic Act 11054, also known as the “Bangsamoro Organic Law” (BOL) was enacted to establish the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and abolish the ARMM. In early 2019, the BOL was ratified through a plebiscite, marking the transition from ARMM to BARMM. On the other hand, an autonomous region in the Cordilleras has yet to be realized,” the explanatory note said.

The authors also said two Organic Acts for an autonomous region were enacted in 1990 and in 1998 however, both measures were rejected by the Cordillerans due to the insufficiency of provision that will guarantee genuine autonomy and self-governance.

“Following these two failed attempts, extensive information dissemination campaigns and public consultations were conducted to craft a legislative measure that truly reflects the need and aspiration of the people of the Cordilleras for regional autonomy. In recent years the movement for autonomy finds fortitude in the commitment of the Duterte Administration to support this Constitutional mandate,” they said.

The Cordillera lawmakers said autonomy shall serve as the foundation upon which the people of Cordillera shall be empowered to pursue sustainable and inclusive growth, through the management of their natural resources, protection and development of ancestral lands, and the promotion of the rights and culture of the indigenous people of the Cordillera.

“It is through its progress and growth as an autonomous political entity that the Cordillerans can tap its potentials and contribute to national success.

“The collective aspiration of the Cordillerans for genuine autonomy is rooted on the right to self-determination of the people fueled by a long history of struggle for the recognition of their rights. It is high time that we make good on this Constitutional mandate, and allow the Cordillerans to determine their political status and to freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development,” the congressmen said.” 

They added: “By adopting necessary amendments and proposals, we have consistently endeavored to evolve this legislative measure as a product of the collaborative participation of all stakeholders. With clearer understanding of autonomy, its implications and effects on the lives of our people and on the future of Cordillera, the time is ripe for us to once again present to the Cordillerans the opportunity to realize this deeply ingrained desire.”

Dalog said in an interview, “Today is the opportune time for the people of the Cordillera to fulfill the Constitutional mandate of having a government of self-determination.  “With our burning desire to have the opportunity to chart our own destiny, we have refined the House Bill filed since the 15th Congress into the current House Bill which would be more acceptable to the people through intensive public consultation with various political and community leaders, government agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector and our constituents from the grassroots.   It is thus imperative and timely that the lifelong dream of Cordillerans be realized through the passage of an Organic Act establishing the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera,” he said.

Among the salient features of the bill is found in Article III Section 6 of the proposed bill which shall afford the autonomous region an Equitable Share in the National Budget and Development Assistance in addition to other financial assistance, support and subsidies to subsidize the region’s development.

Regional powers to be devolved to Local Government Units (LGUs) particularly in areas of education, health, human resources, science and technology and people empowerment was also mentioned in the house measure.

In relation to the use and management of resources, Section 16 recognizes the regional government’s share with the national government in the exploration, development and utilization of its natural resources, conservation and protection of natural resources by promoting the sustainable use and management thereof and adopts environmentally sound and appropriate technology in the management of natural resources. The use of renewable energy shall also be promoted for power generation.    

In the Senate, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who currently chairs the Committee on Rules, has also committed to file a counterpart bill in order to help facilitate the swift and smooth passage of the bill into law.

In related developments, a multi-stakeholder gathering on Cordillera autonomy has been scheduled on December 12, 2019 to be held in Baguio City.

In Baguio City, Agriculture Secretary and Cabinet Officer on Regional Development and Security for the Cordillera, William Dar said during the joint Regional Development Council and Regional Peace and Order Council (RDC-RPOC) 4th Quarter meeting on Nov 29, “Regional autonomy must remain an aspiration of the people and not just some program of the government.”

 “The Cordillera region as a whole has yet to hurdle its first major challenge as called for by the 1987 Constitution”.

The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR), chaired by and Abra Governor, Joy Bernos renewed its support for the pursuit of regional autonomy towards federalism with a resolution “Requesting the President’s support to the pursuit of Cordillera autonomy towards Federalism”. 

The RDC cited the willingness of advocates to formally assist in the pursuit, the councils also passed the resolution “Organizing the Cordillera autonomy advocates group”.

The RPOC also prepared its own resolution supporting the pursuit of Cordillera autonomy according to its Chairman and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

Rep. Dalog, Jr. said the Cordillera congressmen agree in pursuing regional autonomy but they also want to ensure the economic stability of the Cordillera once it is autonomous. “The block grant that we are including, similar to the BOL, must be used for revenue-generating projects for sustainability of the autonomous region”, he said.
Dar said Executive Order 220, which created the Cordillera Administrative Region and prepare the Cordillera for autonomous governance, was an “agreeable response by the government and the nation as a whole to the clamor for autonomy in the Cordillera”.

He added that “as an administrative region, the Cordillera still struggles with underdevelopment, poverty, inaccessibility, the devastation of its natural resource base, and insurgency which were at the center of the call for autonomy several decades ago”.

The RDC-CAR through its secretariat, NEDA-CAR, has renewed the pursuit for regional autonomy in 2006 following the two failed plebiscites of 1990 and 1998 and the deactivation of the Cordillera Executive Board and Cordillera Regional Assembly in 2000. – With a report from Marlo Lubguban