City creates committee on quest for Autonomy

City officials designated the members of the City Council Committee on Indigenous Peoples sub-committee in relation to House Bill (HB) 3267 on the creation of an Autonomous Region of the Cordillera.

Under Resolution No. 044, series of 2023, local legislators stated that the sub-committee shall be composed of Councilor Peter Fianza, chairperson of the City Council Committee on Laws, Human Rights and Justice; Councilor Betty Lourdes F. Tabanda, chairperson of the City Council Committee on Health and Sanitation, Ecology and Environment; Councilor Michael L. Lawana, ex-officio member, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay – Baguio City Chapter; Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales, ex-officio member, president of the Sangguniang Kabataan – Baguio City chapter and Councilor Jose M. Molintas, chairperson of the City Council Committee on Public Protection and Safety, Peace and Order.

Earlier, the local legislative body passed Resolution No. 034, series of 2023 that created a sub-committee under the Committee on Indigenous Peoples in relation to HB 3267 to spearhead the deliberation, discussions, dialogues, coordination and be able to intelligently form decision on the role of the city in the establishment of the much desired Cordillera Autonomous Region.

Further, the council directed the sub-committee members to convene as soon as possible to select their own chairperson and hold regular public meetings with all stakeholders to organize their work and submit periodic reports and recommendations to the committee and furnish all Representatives of the cordillera in the House of Representatives.

HB 3267 authored by all Cordillera congressmen seeks to establish the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR). The bill is now pending deliberation with the House committee on appropriations after the same was approved by the House committee on local government and House committee on ways and means.

In 2006, the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera embraced autonomy as its overarching agenda to help in speeding up the development of the region because of the putting in place of policies that are suitable to the prevailing situation in the region. – Dexter A. See