Stakeholders' participation urged to realize regional autonomy

Posted on | Wednesday 16 March 2011 | No Comments

by Gigi Dumallig

TABUK, Kalinga, Wednesday March 16  – “Everyone is a stakeholder in the realization of the Cordillera Autonomous Region.”



Dr. Maximo Garming, director of Extension Services of the Kalinga Apayao State College said as he underscored the need “to educate and provide enough information for the people to understand the proposed regional autonomy.”


There is a need to consult every sector including students to understand and get their position as input to the drafting of an acceptable organic act that defines the kind of autonomous region that people want in the Cordilleras, he said.


“Respect their views,” and encourage the active and committed participation of local government officials and advocates in the information and education campaign, he added.


Autonomy, he said, will provide the region the advantage to develop and be at par with the progressive regions in the country.


This, he said, could be realized if the region will be given the opportunity to develop its resources; and with the transitional fund from the national government, all provinces in the region will be given the chance to physically improve their localities in terms of road networks, government establishments, and develop its human resources towards autonomy.


The third basic principle of autonomy as basis of the drafting the proposed annual subsidy of P10 billion per year for the first five years and P5 billion per year for the next five years from the national government distributed to the provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays in accordance to the organic act.


The Cordillera region, he said, is given the rare opportunity with the ratification of the Philippine Constitution through Section 1, Article X, which provided for the creation of a Cordillera Autonomous Region.



“We should take advantage of the legal basis and give the opportunity to develop ourselves, preserve our cultural heritage and advance our development to attain a progressive region,” Garming expressed.
“Let us not deprive our children of this positive change and instead look at these changes in a broader prospective,” he said.


Towards this endeavor, the provincial government is conducting sectoral forum this month for the information and education campaign and drafting of the autonomous organic act in preparation for the third plebiscite. (PIA CAR/Kalinga)

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