BAGUIO CITY – The technical working group of the Infrastructure Committee (InfraCom) led by Chair DPWH CAR Dir. Tiburcio Canlas met on January 18, 2019 to discuss its plans for the 2019 Cordillera month celebration on July. Together with Kalinga as the host province, the RDC InfraCom will lead the coordination of various activities celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the Cordillera region and its pursuit of Cordillera autonomy.
NEDA-CAR recommended tying together the country’s Build, Build, Build program and the RDC’s pursuit of autonomy towards federalism for this year’s theme. The committee members plan to showcase the improvement in the region’s infrastructure, particularly in paved roads, communication, and social infrastructure and how far it has come since its creation through Executive Order 220 in 1987. The members want to emphasize the pursuit of Cordillera autonomy as the ultimate goal of the Cordillera Administrative Region.
NEDA-CAR started the planning by reviewing the successes and points of improvement of the last Cordillera month celebrations. The Department of Tourism (DOT) commended last year’s Cordillera fashion show, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) acknowledged the tree planting and maintenance activities, so members agreed to replicate these activities this year.
The lead agency, DPWH, will continue to hold meetings with the committee, RDC Secretariat, and the province of Kalinga in the coming months in preparation for the various activities that will be conducted. Dir. Canlas assured the cooperation of all DPWH provincial offices in the conduct of this year’s celebration.
Last year’s celebration highlighted good governance and was led by the RDC Development Administration Committee through its Chair, DILG, and the Province of Ifugao. By Marlo T. Lubguban
