ITOGON, Benguet – President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is supportive of the quest for regional autonomy for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to empower local governments by decentralizing some of its powers, Rep. Eric Yap said here recently.
Earlier, the seven Cordillera lawmakers united to file House Bill (HB) 3267 which seeks to establish the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) for the realization of the constitutional mandate.
The Benguet Congress representative disclosed they have agreed upon themselves to convince at least 40 members of the House of Representatives each to ensure that the proposed autonomy law will be immediately acted upon by the 19th Congress and transmitted to the President for his signature for it to become a law.
Joining Yap in the filing of the proposed autonomy bill were Abra Rep. Menchie Bernos, Apayao Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, Baguio City Rep. Mark Go, Ifugao Rep. Solomon Chungalao, Kalinga Rep. Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang and Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Y. Dalog, Jr.
In the 18th Congress, HB 5687 authored by all Cordillera lawmakers and HB 7778 authored by Yap were consolidated as HB 10729 which was approved on third and final reading by the House on May 30, 2022 and subsequently transmitted to the Senate for the supposed passage of its counterpart bill on May 31, 2022.
However, the Senate failed to act on the same because of the adjournment synergy of both chambers of Congress which happened on June 1, 2022.
The Cordillera is attempting for the third time to achieve the coveted autonomy that will pave the way for the region to be able to chart its political and developmental directions.
At present, the programs, projects and activities of the central government are crafted by the national government and subsequently implemented by the concerned local governments even if these are not applicable in some areas in the country like in the Cordillera.
Among these programs that are not applicable in the region include the government’s concentration on rice and corn when what is suitable for the region is highland vegetables; the provision of Presidential Decree (PD) 705 or the Forestry Reform Code that lands above 18 degrees in elevation are not alienable and disposable and the limitation on the creation of classrooms where there should be 45 students in one classroom.
Autonomy advocates underscored that the establishment of an autonomous regional government will greatly help in moving the people out of poverty primarily because it will be able to effectively and efficiently implement programs, projects and activities with the least possible intervention from the national government.
The special temporary administrative region was created under Executive Order (EO) No. 220 issued on July 15, 1987 by the late President Corazon C. Aquino purposely to administer the affairs of the government in the region, to accelerate the socio-economic development of the region and more importantly to prepare the region for autonomy.
