Bontoc, Mountain Province – The Sangguniang Bayan here passed a resolution expressing full support to the establishment of the Cordillera Autonomous Region.
The legislative body manifested their support to the unified stand of the seven Cordillera law makers who filed House Bill 5343 or the pending bill that seeks to establish an autonomous regional government in the Cordillera.
The municipal council deemed it proper to extend their support with consideration that Cordillera government leaders from the governors down to the barangay officials, community leaders and the constituents have expressed their desire for the Cordillera to become an autonomous region.
In its resolution, the municipal council mentioned that the Cordilleras being an autonomous region shall bring to realization of the long cherished dreams and aspirations of the people to manage their own affairs in accordance to its unique culture, tradition and practices.
“The Cordillera being an autonomous region shall bring faster progress and development as the programs, projects and activities together with the strategies and interventions can be customized to for the peculiar situations and the conditions of the region,” the body acknowledged.
In a separate interview, Bontoc Mayor Franklin C. Odsey voiced out his all-out support on the quest for Cordillera Autonomous Region.
He remarked that the establishment of an autonomous region in the Cordillera will ensure preservation of the region’s rich culture and traditions and guarantee the preservation of the environment while making sure that the region will benefit from its resources with lesser restraint from the national government.
The aspiration for autonomy started after the signing of Executive Order 220 in 1987 which created the Cordillera Administrative Region with the Constitution providing that the autonomous region in the Cordilleras shall consist of provinces, cities, municipalities and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant characteristics within the framework of the Constitution. By Alpine L. Killa
