BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR), through its Social Preparation of CAR into an Autonomous Region (SPCAR) program, convened representatives from the offices of the Cordillera Congress representatives, regional line agencies, RDC PSRs, the Private Sector, and SPCAR partners to organize a Technical Working Group to study the comments of Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance, and the National Economic and Development Authority, collectively known as the Economic Managers, on the Fiscal Provisions and Government Structure of the proposed House Bill (HB) 3267, “An Act Establishing the Cordillera Autonomous Region,” on July 5, 2024, at the Venus Parkview Hotel, Baguio City.
In her welcome message, NEDA-CAR Regional Director Susan A. Sumbeling, Vice-Chairperson of the RDC-CAR, thanked the participants and emphasized the importance of collaboration to achieve the group’s objectives.
Invited as resource speakers were Executive Director Atty. Benedicto R. Bacani of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) and Atty. Rasol Y. Mitmug Jr., Member of Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, who shared their insights and experiences from crafting the Bangsamoro Organic Law to the transition of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao into the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, highlighting the challenges they encountered in their present setup, particularly on fiscal management and program implementation.
Also present was Tanya Hamada, former DBM Assistant Secretary, who reiterated that the group take off from the Economic Managers’ comments on the fiscal provisions of the bill, mentioning that “…the main responsibility should be to understand these points raised, and if those points can be addressed, …then it meets the political process aspect…”
Following the presentation of the study group’s objectives and functions, Atty. John Ray Libiran and Atty. Tomas Kiwang were unanimously elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, of the technical working group.
Also in attendance were Marinel Ginez of the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, Atty. Shannon Mahal Kesip, representing Kalinga Lone District Representative Allen Jesse Mangaoang, and Atty. Willibroth B. Managtag, representing Mountain Province Lone District Representative Maximo Dalog Jr., who expressed the lawmakers’ support for the review of the HB’s fiscal provisions.
Among other agreements, the group should also address the comments of the Congressional committees from past deliberations of the bill. They shall also create a development and political framework for the proposed autonomous government to be discussed when they reconvene in August 2024.
The RDC-CAR is currently focusing its resources on alliance building, with plans to include additional inputs on the autonomy bill based on the outputs of the study group. By SPCAR