TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero and Vice Mayor Dick Bal-o reiterated their full backing for regional autonomy with the signing of a manifesto of support for the establishment of a Cordillera Autonomous Region that also urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the passage of House Bill 3267 during the flag raising ceremony recently.
House Bill 3267, entitled “An Act Establishing the Cordillera Autonomous Region,” which seeks to fulfill the constitutional mandate creating an autonomous region in the Cordillera is pending with the Committee on Appropriations in the House of Representatives.
“The present structure of the government and our experiences dictate that the immediate realization of the above-cited provision of the 1987 Constitution is still the most feasible and appropriate legal means available to truly boost the economy and development of the Cordillera that is sensitive to the culture, heritage and pressing needs of the region,” the manifesto states.
Mayor Estrañero said that the passage of House Bill 3267 would accelerate the region’s economic development as it would allow Cordillerans to have control of the use and development of their natural resources, and that the advantages of regional autonomy far outweigh its perceived drawbacks.
“In every story there is always two sides of it. There is advantage and disadvantage and we should weigh, but definitely the advantages are much heavier than the disadvantage, so we will push for autonomy,” he said.
Councilor Kristian Wandag, Kalinga Advocates for Regional Autonomy member, emphasized the need for an information and education campaign and continuous consultation with various sectors to avoid the mistakes that caused the previous two organic acts to fail. He said that gathering inputs from the community before the plebiscite is crucial to ensuring the success of the proposed autonomous region and bringing forth its ultimate goal of self-determination and enhanced Cordillera identity.
“Daytuy ti nakita ti RDC (Regional Development Council) nga i-correct tayu dagiyay kamali so before the passage of any organic act ag-conduct tayu ti consultation ken itultuloy ti consultation before the plebiscite,” he said.
Officials and employees of the city government also signed the manifesto declaring their unequivocal support for autonomy. By Tabuk PIO
