BAGUIO CITY – A Palace official recently rallied Cordillerans to take a third crack at autonomy to contribute in furthering the region’s growth and development through self-rule in the future.
Presidential Assistant for the Cordillera Engr. Antonio R. Tabora expressed hope that the manifesto signed by numerous sectors from all over the region will reach President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and the Congress of the Philippines for them to act on the clamor for the establishment of the autonomous region.
He claimed that the overwhelming rejection of the two Organic Acts that was enacted by Congress in the January 1990 and March 1998 plebiscites were a product of various issues at that time.
“Ngayon nandito ako, kasama natin si Presidente, para matamo natin ang ating pangarap na maging autonomous ang Cordillera kaya pagtrabahuhan natin ng mabuti (I am here how and we are with the President in reaching our dream to become an autonomous Cordillera so we have to work on that),” he said.
The Palace official disclosed that the President wants to know the people’s sentiments on the region’s quest for autonomy and to educate government officials on the advantages of having an autonomous region, not just relying on what officials are saying.
Earlier, the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera invited President Marcos, Jr. to be the guest of honor and speaker during the main program of the celebration of the 37th founding anniversary of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
“We will talk to him. That is one of our functions, to bring the region to Malacañang,” he added.
The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Multi-Culturalism towards Regional Autonomy and Development.”
House Bill (HB) 3267 authored by all Cordillera congressmen which seeks to establish the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) is now pending deliberations with the House committee on appropriations following its being passed upon by the House committees on ways and means and local government. In the Senate, a counterpart bill has also been filed and now pending with the Senate committee on local government.
According to him, the diverse culture, rich history and well preserved heritage and traditions of the Cordillera should serve as the region’s asset in achieving autonomy that will have the way for the enactment of policies suitable to the prevailing situation unlike in the present set up where programs and policies emanate from the central government even if the same are not applicable to the prevailing condition in the Cordillera.
Assistant Secretary Tabora, who served as a vice mayor and a city councilor, was the guest of honor and speaker during the kick off program of the 37th Cordillera month celebration co-hosted by the Abra provincial government and the Regional Development Council Development Administration Committee. By Dexter A. See
