LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Governor Dr. Melchor Daguines Diclas during the Cordillera Month celebration at the Capitol on July 13 recognized the valor and sacrifices of Cordillerans in the past in resistance against their colonizers keeping Cordilleran culture and practices intact up to the present.
“The firm and steadfast resistance of our Cordilleran ancestors against our oppressors is one of our contributions to the heroic history of our country,” Governor Diclas stated in his message.
“These and many more historic accounts of our fellow Cordillerans deserve a huge space in the national spotlight through formal education as we proudly pass them on to the next Cordilleran generations along with our burning passion and hope for regional autonomy,” the governor added.
Further, Governor Diclas renewed his hope for regional autonomy recognizing its impact to the development of the region.
“We believe that with regional autonomy, we will weave a strengthened and effective Cordilleran governance geared towards economic growth and swift development,” the governor said.
He furthered his message emphasizing his hope for “our continued culture of binnadang or kamal, as we make HEALTHIER Benguet truly a haven of sustainable development as we aim for Healthy and productive communities, Education that is of high quality and relevance, Agriculture that secures us, Livelihood that abounds, Tourism that is eco-friendly and sustainable, Human Resources who excel, Infrastructure that drives development, Environment that is enduring, and Responsive Governance that is culturally sensitive and inclusive.”
Meanwhile, Congressman Eric Go Yap, who was not able to attend the event due to an important appointment, extended his greetings through the governor.
Also unable to make it to the occasion which conflicts with the schedule of the 88th National Assembly of the League of Vice Governors in the Philippines, Vice Governor Ericson Lawagey Felipe conveyed his message through Board Member Marie Rose Fongwan-Kepes expressing his strong support for regional autonomy recognizing its contributions to regional development.
The celebration was attended by provincial and municipal officials and heads of the various line agencies in the province.
Former NEDA-CAR Regional Director Dr. Milagros Rimando was invited to grace the celebration of the 35th Cordillera Month at the Capitol as the resource speaker.
Dr. Rimando delivered a talk on regional autonomy underscoring its positive impact to the region.
“Through autonomy, we are ensured social development,” Dr. Rimando said adding the Cordilleran people should be in communities where living condition has greatly improved over time.
She stressed the need to improve nutrition, health, education, housing, livelihood, and other government services especially with the impact of the CoVID-19 pandemic.
“There should be no hunger… and all the basic necessities should be accessible to anyone in [the] community,” she furthered as she presented several local concerns which national programs and policies can hardly respond to considering the ‘national perspective’ which is much focused on national concerns. She then stated the need for a regional governance to effectively address them.
“It is the region that best thinks of those policies and programs that respond to our needs in the region. That makes regional autonomy very relevant up to this time,” she said.
One disappointment for the Cordillerans according to Dr. Rimando is that the uniqueness of the region among the 16 others “is not fully recognized and not given consideration by the national government to the different agencies.”
Further, Dr. Rimando highlighted the positive impact of regional autonomy on education and health.
“There is also [this, regarding] curricular program, which has to be enriched with what we are in the region not what is in other regions, because we are different, we have different stories to tell,” she said mentioning the need to spread more localized stories “which impart our local values… and indigenous practices.”
Meantime, on health, she mentioned support to traditional medicine in which the region can prioritize researches on traditional health practices. “To have this done extensively and intensively, it can only be done through a region that has its own regional government,” she added.
Among the programs Dr. Rimando mentioned that will benefit from regional autonomy are programs on cultural practices, disaster management, and housing.
Dr. Rimando ended her talk with her expression of hope for the people in the region to reach their goal.
The formal program for the region-wide celebration of the Cordillera Month will be on July 15 at the Convention Center in Baguio City. July 15 has been proclaimed a non-working day in the region in observance of the said occasion.
By SAP Jr.
