Bid for Cordillera autonomy gains support

MANILA, Philippines – A move seeking to establish autonomy in the Cordilleras, which is currently an administrative region, is gaining support from national leaders.

Local government officials and lawmakers from the region recently met in Quezon City to press for autonomy and to help their people address all their basic needs, including a reliable water supply and better infrastructure.

The conference was meant to create an advocacy that would support House Bill 4649, which seeks to create the Cordillera Autonomous Region.

The leaders said an autonomous Cordillera would help people in the region improve their standard of living.

Sen. Chiz Escudero gave assurance that he would support the bill in the next Congress as it could not be passed this year.

The bill was filed in June last year by Reps. Manuel Agyao of Kalinga, Nicasio Aliping Jr. of Baguio City, Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao, Eleanor Begtang of Apayao, Ma. Jocelyn Bernos of Abra, Ronald Cosalan of Benguet and Maximo Dalog of Mountain Province.

Baguilat said they would form an alliance with leaders in the national and local governments, private sector and civil society groups to help push the Cordillera autonomy.

The 1987 Constitution allows the creation of an autonomous Cordillera, but the people in the region rejected it during the 1995 and 1998 plebiscites.

The regional development council of the Cordillera Administrative Region renewed the move in 2006 by launching projects on education and information activities.

The proponents are hoping to have the move approved in the third plebiscite.