BAGUIO CITY – In her State of the Region Address (SORA) on July 29, Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC) Chair and Abra Governor Maria Jocelyn V. Bernos congratulated all Cordillerans in showing the rest of the country the region’s spirit in hard times. “We will survive. We will recover. We will overcome, because we Cordillerans see difficulties as opportunities to be at our best,” she said. The SORA Kapihan, led by Cordillera offices of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-CAR) and the Philippine Information Agency, culminated the month-long celebration of the region’s 33rd founding anniversary with the theme ”One Resilient Cordillera: Embracing the new normal towards recovery”.
“While we were busy implementing policies and programs towards further development in our respective local government units, COVID-19 forced us to make re-adjustments in our priorities,” said Governor Bernos. She cited all the commendable actions of Cordillerans that made headlines during the Luzon-wide community quarantine. Special mention was given to Sadanga Mayor Gabino Ganggangan and the 30 other municipalities who applied the principles of Binnadang, the Cordilleran way of bayanihan. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong was also commended for leading and applying methods of contact tracing to curb the spread of the virus. “The integrity and heart with which our local chief executives have led us in this fight against COVID-19 have given us the confidence to declare that we are ready to be an autonomous region,” said Governor Bernos.
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This year’s Cordillera month celebration pushed through despite the overwhelming adversity and was modified to fit the current health guidelines and protocols. “Our quest for regional autonomy and sustained development will not be set aside,” said Governor Bernos. This year’s celebration focused on providing numerous webinars for entrepreneurs and the business sector which took a significant setback. The RDC Economic Development Committee, this year’s lead in the celebration, conducted numerous seminars in product innovation, business resiliency, and information technology literacy while continuing to raise awareness on the pursuit of regional autonomy to provide Cordillerans with the knowledge and hope to recover and reach the full potential of the region.
The region suffered ₱18.6 billion in losses according to the NEDA-CAR-led Regional Recovery and Resiliency Plan on COVID-19, with about ₱33.4 billion needed for recovery. The pandemic showed the urgent development needs of the Cordillera, according to the RDC Chair, such as the need for stronger research and development support in agriculture technology and infrastructure, more empowerment of micro, small, and medium enterprises, the inclusion of pandemics in disaster preparedness, and stronger information technology infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, Governor Bernos thanked all the RDC’s development partners, from local chief executives, lawmakers, government agencies, those in the private sector, the academe, civil society organizations, and every Cordilleran, in uniting towards a common goal. The RDC Chair concluded that we must all prepare for the challenges ahead, “armed with Cordilleran courage, dignity and resilience, guided by our vision of an autonomous region where the benefits of development are enjoyed by all.”
By NEDA-CAR
Photo by CDC from Pexels
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