BAGUIO CITY – Three Cordillera lawmakers were able to retain the chairmanship of the committees in the House of Representatives as work in the 19th Congress started to unfold in the 19th Congress right after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Three-term Kalinga Rep. Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang retained the chairmanship of the House committee on cultural minorities and indigenous peoples, 3-term Baguio City Rep. Mark Go also retained the chairmanship of the House committee on higher and technical education while 2-term Ifugao Rep. Solomon Chungalao was able to retain the House committee on agrarian reform.
The said Cordillera congressmen were the chairpersons of the aforesaid House committees during the 18 Congress where they were able to pass significant legislations beneficial to the welfare of the majority of Filipinos.
Mangaoang will also be serving as the senior vice chairperson of the House committee on natural resources and vice chairperson of the House committee on ecology.
On the other hand, 2-term Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Y. Dalog, Jr., first term Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and Apayao Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang are also awaiting the confirmation of the House on the committees that they will chair in the 19th Congress.
While there are already committees which were already assigned to the said lawmakers to chair, the concerned congressmen refused to confirm the same unless it will be voted upon by the members of the House in plenary next week.
Under the internal rules of the House, senior lawmakers or those who are serving their second or third terms in the House are given the preference to select the committees which they will chair upon consultation with the ruling parties and with the concurrence of the majority block.
The 19th Congress will be one for the books for the Cordillera congressmen because it will be the first time that almost all the elected lawmakers were given a committee in the House to chair for them to show the brand of leadership of the Cordillerans.
Congressman Mangaoang vowed to continue working for the upliftment of the rights of indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples in the different parts of the country for them to be empowered and prevent the abuses being committed against them by individuals and companies that intend to exploit, develop and utilize the State’s rich resources that are within their domain.
He stated that his committee will be proactive in looking into reports of abuses being committed against indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples so that their inherent rights enshrined in the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) will be respected and protected.
The lawmaker warned abusive companies to refrain from shortchange the indigenous peoples from their benefits from their operations because the House committee on national cultural minorities will go after them so that they will suffer the consequences of their questionable actions that will be detrimental to the indigenous peoples.