RDC, NEDA push autonomy campaign in Abra, Apayao

By Kathleen Irah B. Magaliao

BAGUIO CITY – Proponents for Cordillera autonomy are pushing the advocacy and held information campaign in Abra and Apayao in line with campaign of the Cordillera Regional Development Council.
    The Social Preparation of CAR into an Autonomous Region (SPCAR) program staff along with members of the RDC speakers Bureau went to 10 municipalities in Abra and Apayao which have not yet been reached by the program’s information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns the past years.  
    Town reached this year in Abra were Langiden and San Quintin on June 27-29, Lagayan, San Isidro, and Pilar on Sept. 21-23, and Tubo, Licuan-Baay, and Tineg on Oct. 3-5.
    Meanwhile, campaigns were held in the municipalities of Calanasan and Flora in Apayao last July 12-13.
    In these IECs, local government employees, barangay officials, private sector representatives, and government employees were invited to listen to lectures and engage in an open forum where questions and concerns about regional autonomy and details about House Bill 3267: An Act Establishing the Cordillera Autonomous Region are raised and discussed.
    Manifestos of support were also collected after programs. 
    Miss and Mister Cordillera Autonomy Youth Ambassador 2022 Angela May Respicio and Shawn Michael Barilla, Dr. Gregorio Taag, and Leonard Andanan served as speakers in the IECs mentioned above. 

    The SPCAR program aims to conduct at least one IEC campaign for each municipality in the region. 
    In the coming months, IECs will be coordinated with local government units of remaining unreached municipalities.
    IEC campaigns in online platforms are also done on major social media sites through the account named “One Cordillera” in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Tiktok. 
    The National Economic Development Authority – Cordillera Administrative Region (NEDA-CAR), as the secretariat of RDC-CAR headed by regional director Susan A. Sumbeling, is managing the SPCAR program.
    It leads formation and implementation of programs advocating and forwarding the regional autonomy agenda of Cordillera in platforms such as inclusion of the advocacy in development plans.