BAGUIO CITY – Regional Development Council-Cordillera (RDC-CAR) Chairperson and Apayao Governor Elias C. Bulut, Jr. delivered his second State of the Region Address (SORA) today, July 31, during the closing ceremonies of the 37th Cordillera Month Celebration in Baguio Convention and Cultural Center.
Bulut began his address by highlighting several challenges the Cordillera Region went through for the past couple of years.
“We have had unexpected challenges such as – the earthquake in 2022 and the Typhoon (Egay) in 2023, among others – but here we are, still standing strong and proud of the strides we have taken together for the development of the region,” he said.
“Amid difficult circumstances beyond our control, it is a blessing that we have each other, offering help and support despite our own battles. It is by grace that we are here today, able to look back and take pride in what we have accomplished together,” he added.
In 2023, the RDC began implementing the Cordillera Regional Development Plan 2023-2028. Gov. Bulut underscored that the region’s sectoral performance in the previous year is an important benchmark of the region’s progress, adding that the said plan that was developed collectively with the stakeholders, “charts our course toward regional prosperity and inclusive development.”
According to the Governor, the collective efforts over the past year have yielded good results. Among the positive impacts, the economy of the region has exceeded the regional target of five to six percent for 2023, reaching a solid 6.9 percent. “This remarkable achievement positions the Cordillera as the fourth fastest-growing regional economy in the Philippines in 2023,” he emphasized.
Further, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, poverty incidence among Cordilleran families declined to 9.4 percent in the first semester of 2023 from 12.1 percent in the same period of 2021. “This growth is a powerful force in our fight against poverty, acting both as a catalyst and a result of our poverty reduction efforts,” he said. He likewise anticipates that the downward trend in the region’s poverty will persist, pending the release of the full-year 2023 statistics in October.
Moreover, the governor also reported a slight improvement in the region’s employment and labor sector. “The latest employment data shows an improved labor market, with employment rising to 96.7 percent in 2023, up from 96.3 percent in 2022,” he stated. Bulut added that the macroeconomic performance is a result of the policy direction that the RDC has steered based on the development strategies outlined in the Regional Development Plan and the cohesiveness among the government, private sector, and civil society organizations that ultimately contribute to boosting the regional economy toward a sustainable high-growth trajectory.
Gov. Bulut also led the charge towards the development of the key sectors in the region. As reported by the Governor, the RDC has now adopted the Cordillera Renewable Energy Master Plan. “This will promote sustainable energy development and will serve as the region’s roadmap for developing its estimated 7,548.94 megawatts of renewable energy potential that will contribute to both regional and national energy security,” he announced.
“I joined the dialogue of the RDC’s with the President to present our top three priority projects, which are farm-to-market roads, irrigation systems, and the Regional Wireless Network to improve the connectivity across our dispersed communities in the Cordillera. These are examples of the programs and projects that we shall continue to advocate as we partner with the national government, the private sector, and the foreign funding source to attain inclusive and sustainable regional development,” he concluded. By Jess Christley Marquez
