Baguio: Regional autonomy would enable the Cordillera to implement infrastructure and social service programs better suited to its mountainous terrain, cultural practices and development priorities, officials said Wednesday. During a "Kapihan" forum hosted by the Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC) as part of the region's founding anniversary celebration, officials from the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said regional planning under an autonomous government would result in faster, more responsive and culturally appropriate programs.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD-Cordillera Regional Director Enrique Gascon said autonomy would allow the region to design and implement programs based on local conditions instead of relying on a uniform national approach. "Region-designed targeting of programs and projects will enable faster and more localized relief assistance while integrating cultural practices into social protection programs, such as the binnadang (helping hand)," Gascon said. He said the Cordillera's long-standing tradition of community cooperation complements DSWD initiatives, including its food- and cash-for-work programs.
Gascon cited as an example the community-led binnadang effort to reopen a typhoon-damaged section of Halsema Highway, where residents used locally available materials to make the road passable and allow vegetable trucks to transport produce to markets. DPWH-Cordillera Regional Director Editha Babaran said autonomy would also pave the way for integrated regional planning that reflects the Cordillera's geographic and engineering realities. She said infrastructure projects in the region often require additional components, such as hauling of construction materials and slope protection, which are not typically included in standard project designs for lowland areas.
Lawyer Willibroth Managtag, legislative staff member of Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Dalog Jr., said hauling costs alone can account for as much as half of a project's total cost in some parts of the Cordillera. He said school buildings in the region receive the same budget allocation as those in lowland areas despite the additional expenses of transporting materials to remote sites and constructing slope protection measures.
Meanwhile, Arnel Cabanisas, RDC co-chair and a member of the Regional Project Monitoring Committee, said greater autonomy would strengthen public participation in monitoring government projects. He said the committee works directly with contractors to address quality issues while projects are still under construction, allowing problems to be corrected before completion. "With autonomy, people can become more active participants, beginning with the planning stage," Cabanisas said.
The Cordillera Administrative Region was created under Executive Order No. 220 in 1987 as part of preparations for regional autonomy under the 1987 Constitution. While the Bangsamoro has since achieved autonomous status, the Cordillera continues to pursue self-governance through the establishment of an autonomous regional government.
