BAGUIO CITY July 12 – Malacan֮ang declared Thursday, July 15, 2021, as a special non-working holiday in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in time for the celebration of its 34th founding anniversary.
Proclamation No. 1183 signed by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea by authority of President Rodrigo Duterte stated that it is but fitting and proper that the people of the Cordillera be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion of the CAR’s founding anniversary with the appropriate ceremonies subject to the implementation of community quarantine protocols, physical distancing and other public health measures to contain the rapid spread of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the region.
The theme of this year’s CAR founding anniversary celebration is ‘Working Together Towards Cordillera Autonomy through Green Recovery.’
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu will serve as the guest of honor and speaker during the blended CAR founding anniversary that will be held at the Baguio Convention Center.
Local officials from Apayao, Abra, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province are expected to attend the CAR founding anniversary program either through their physical presence or online to radiate the region’s efforts for the establishment of the autonomous region in the Cordillera pursuant to the aspirations of those who started the struggle for self-governance several decades ago.
The Cordillera officials are also expected to drumbeat the ongoing efforts to convince lawmakers in both chambers of Congress to already pass pending bills seeking for the establishment of the desired autonomous region that will ensure the robust growth and development of the Cordillera as the regional government will have greater control of the resources with lesser restraint from outside forces.
On July 15, 1987, former President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order (EO) No. 220 creating the CAR and bringing together the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Mountain Province and Baguio city from Region I and the provinces of Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao from Region II to comprise the special temporary administrative region.
Under the aforesaid order, CAR was mandated to administer the affairs of the government in the region, accelerate the socio-economic development of the region and more importantly, to prepare the region for autonomy. By Dexter A. See
