Partido Reporma chair and standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he would let the people of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) decide on whether it should receive greater autonomy.
The topic was raised during a brief public forum that followed shortly after their “Online Kumustahan” with provincial and municipal government officials and residents at the Benguet Sports Complex.
“I would always rather focus on consultation. How do the people feel about having local autonomy or full autonomy here in the Cordilleras,” Lacson said.
He said they should get the pulse of those who live here. After all, they are the ones who will be most affected by it.
As far as Partido Reporma senatorial aspirant Dr. Minguita Padilla is concerned, there are stakeholders from CAR who feel strongly about legalizing the autonomy of the region. Padilla traces her heritage to Benguet province, specifically Baguio City.
A report from the regional office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in CAR confirmed an ongoing CSO-led information campaign for the national government to allow self-governance in the region, so the people from the Cordilleras can chart their own path to progress.
According to NEDA-CAR, there are three pending legislations filed in the 18th Congress to establish the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera—Senate Bill 1232, which was filed by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Bill 7778 filed by Benguet legislative caretaker Rep. Eric Yap, and related consolidated measures filed under House Bill 5687 by all congressmen from CAR.
Lacson has vowed to follow the will of the people when dealing with these types of legislative proposals. This is similar to his position on the creation of Negros Island Region, which was brought to his attention when he visited Bacolod City in Negros Occidental last November.
The weather was cold, but the reception stayed warm for Lacson as he discussed his Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program for CAR.
Lacson returned to this province Saturday (December 18) and spoke at length about the salient points of his flagship BRAVE project to the residents and local government officials, who listened intently during an “Online Kumustahan” gathering held at the Benguet Sports Complex.
The presidential aspirant visited La Trinidad after he and running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III launched earlier this week an official investigation into the 20-year struggle of Cordillera farmers and traders against rampant agricultural smuggling.
In his speech, Lacson explained how BRAVE can play a significant role towards addressing this problem since it seeks to empower local government units (LGU) down to the barangay level by recalibrating how the national budget is being distributed across the country.
Under his proposal, unused and underutilized appropriations that could reach somewhere in the ballpark of P400-billion on average every year could be redirected to fund relevant local development projects that would emanate from and be implemented by the people in the communities themselves.
In the case of Benguet, for example, which, according to Governor Melchor Diclas, has been experiencing challenges with respect to irrigation systems for its upland farms, additional funds for development projects could go a long way.
This is on top of the 20-percent that is normally apportioned for such purpose from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of LGUs. Under the BRAVE set up, cities and municipalities could also receive at least P100-million extra funds and P5-million for each barangay.
If government officials could pool these additional resources they stand to get through that program, establishing an irrigation system for the ‘Salad Bowl of the Philippines’ could easily be achieved. And this is not just limited to that kind of project, the electrification of unelectrified villages is also possible, among other things, according to the senator.
Lacson also mentioned that he and Sotto would replicate at least half of what Partido Reporma secretary-general and Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib managed to accomplish in his province. He has a program that helps absorb the potential losses of farmers over their unsold and undermarketed produce.
In Davao del Norte, the provincial government has committed to buy 100 percent of the farmers’ total agricultural output at their own price, which it then sells to public markets. This way, the farmers are able to secure their income while the provincial government derives a two-percent profit from its investment.
Over 260 LGU officials and residents from La Trinidad and neighboring towns such as Bakun, Bokod, Itogon, Kabayan, Kibungan, Mankayan, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay went in person to attend the socially-distanced gathering with Lacson and two of his Partido Reporma senatorial aspirants.