LAGAWE, Ifugao – Leaders and stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment in pursuing the region’s quest for autonomy during the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to optimise the enabling condition provided by the administration’s planned shift to federal form of government to ensure the decentralization of powers and resources allowing local governments to chart their development.
Gov. Pedro G. Mayam-o said that the people of Ifugao already understood the real essence of autonomy and are simply awaiting for the enactment of the autonomy law which they will vote in favour of like what they did in the first plebiscite and that they are waiting for the neighboring provinces to also vote in favour of the autonomy law so that the autonomous region in the Cordillera will be realized the soonest.
On the other hand, Mountain province Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr. said the people of the province know the importance of self-governance and the benefits of autonomy to the prevailing situation in the province but what is important is for everyone to work hard so that the region will remain intact in an autonomous set up so that there will be no provinces and cities that will be left out once the autonomy law will be submitted to the Cordillerans for ratification.
Thousands of local leaders, private sector representatives, concerned stakeholders and citizens from the different parts of the region converged at the Don Bosco gymnasium here Sunday to celebrate the 31st founding anniversary of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in simple rites prepared by the provincial government and the Regional Development Council (RDC) development administration committee.
Abra Vice Governor and unified Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) chairman Ronald Balao-as pointed out Abra has been one of the most neglected provinces in the region over the past several decades thus the people and officials are convinced that being part of the autonomous region will greatly help in improving the status of the province as well as contribute in uplifting the living condition of the people in the urban and remote areas of the province.
Apayao Vice Governor Remy Albano said the people of the province do not speak a lot but they will show their all-out support to autonomy once the crafted law will be submitted to the Cordillerans for ratification and Apayao will surely join the autonomous region in the Cordillera that will be established.
Kalinga Vice Governor James Edduba, who accepted the Unity Gong on behalf of the provincial government as next year’s host of the CAR founding anniversary, said that what should be celebrated next year is the region’s first anniversary as an autonomous region so that people will be able to enjoy the fruits of better pace of development which Cordillerans had been struggling for even in the present situation where the region is in a temporary status.
Benguet boardmember Geston Balong-angey, who is the newly elected Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president of the province, reaffirmed the commitment of the youth from Benguet in aggressively espousing for the realization of the establishment of an autonomous region beneficial to the present and future generations of Cordillerans. By Dexter A. See
