Kalinga to pass local resolution backing faster Cordillera autonomy bid - BM Donaal

"Through the initiative of the Vice Governor, we are also creating a local resolution here in Kalinga supporting the acceleration of regional autonomy." - Atty. Christopher Donaal

Tabuk City, Kalinga – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Kalinga is preparing a local resolution supporting the accelerated establishment of a Cordillera Autonomous Region, a move that Board Member Atty. Christopher Donaal described as the province's contribution to the renewed campaign for regional autonomy.

Donaal announced the initiative during the Provincial Government's flag-raising ceremony on Monday, July 6, at the Kalinga Sports Complex.

According to Donaal, the proposed local resolution, initiated by Vice Governor Atty. Dave Odiem, will complement a separate regional resolution that the League of Provincial Board Members of the Cordillera plans to adopt during its regional assembly in Baguio City from July 12 to 14.

The two resolutions are intended to urge President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to accelerate the decades-long process of establishing the Cordillera Autonomous Region.

"The Board Members League will be having an assembly in Baguio City on July 12, 13, and 14, and one of the aims is to create a resolution addressed to the President of the Republic of the Philippines seeking the acceleration of the process for Cordillera autonomy. That will be our contribution, together with the other board members in the region, pursuit of Cordillera Autonomous Region," Donaal said.

Donaal said Kalinga's own resolution will serve as the province's formal expression of support for the renewed autonomy campaign.

"Through the initiative of the Vice Governor, we are also creating a local resolution here in Kalinga supporting the acceleration of regional autonomy," he added.

He also renewed the call for regional autonomy, emphasizing that the establishment of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) had already demonstrated the benefits of regional governance.

The legislator explained that if the region was able to establish its own regional offices under its current administrative setup, an autonomous Cordillera could accomplish even more by exercising greater authority over regional development and the management of its resources.

"Nakita tayo met, lalo ti line agencies; there will be no Regional Health Office, there will be no DepEd Regional Office, there will be no Regional DTI Office if we are still beholden to Region 1 and Region 2. How much more if we have an autonomous region? Can you imagine what we can do if we are allowed to have majority control of our resources and our wealth?" he said.

A campaign nearly four decades in the making

Donaal's announcement comes as the Cordillera observes the 39th Cordillera Month with the theme, "Smart Cordillera: Enabling Local Enterprises through Digital Transformation and Accelerated Regional Autonomy."

Cordillera Month commemorates the creation of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) through Executive Order No. 220, signed by then-President Corazon Aquino on July 15, 1987.

However, CAR was established only as a transitional administrative region while preparing for the creation of an autonomous region as envisioned under the 1987 Constitution.

The Cordillera's quest for autonomy traces its roots to the struggles of indigenous communities to defend their ancestral lands, particularly during the opposition to the Chico River Dam Project in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Two attempts were made to establish an autonomous Cordillera through plebiscites held in 1990 and 1998, but both failed after voters rejected the proposed Organic Acts.

Historical records show that during the January 30, 1990 plebiscite, only Ifugao voted in favor of autonomy, while Abra, Benguet, Kalinga-Apayao (before it was divided into two provinces), Mountain Province, and Baguio City voted against it.

In the March 7, 1998 plebiscite, only Apayao voted "Yes," while Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio City voted "No."

Observers attributed the failed bids to political divisions, concerns over governance and fiscal viability, province-specific interests, limited public awareness, and a lack of understanding of the proposed autonomous setup.

Today, however, all six Cordillera provinces and Baguio City have expressed support for reviving the autonomy campaign, marking a significant shift from the outcomes of the 1990 and 1998 plebiscites.

Regional leaders, local government officials, indigenous peoples' representatives, and various sectors maintain that regional autonomy would give the Cordillera greater authority over governance, development planning, natural resource management, and the protection of indigenous culture and ancestral lands while remaining an integral part of the Republic of the Philippines.

The public is encouraged to learn more about the proposed autonomy, participate in discussions and information campaigns, and make informed decisions based on a clear understanding of its provisions, benefits, and implications for the Cordillera.

Donaal said the resolutions being prepared by both the League of Provincial Board Members and the Provincial Government of Kalinga are intended to help sustain the long-standing campaign for regional autonomy and encourage the national government to move the process forward.