BAGUIO CITY – The commitment of President Aquino to consult with Cordillera autonomy advocates regarding the renewed quest for self-governance is a big break towards gaining national recognition to the long standing clamor for regional autonomy, the Cordillera office of the Regional Development Council (RDC) said. However, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, chairman of the drafting committee of the working document for the autonomy campaign, said all sectors in the region must unify their stand and come out with a working draft of what people want to be on the status of autonomy they want before presenting the same to the President for support. In his report relative to the gains of his administration in his first 100 days in office, President Aquino underscored the importance of talking to autonomy advocates to ascertain the extent of self-rule the region wants before supporting the same. (Dexter See)

‘ALAY LAKAD’ NETS SCHOLARSHIP FUND

BATANGAS CITY – Some 7,000 participants joined the walk for a cause under the successful 2010 edition of the Batangas Provincial Government’s Alay Lakad, which concluded at the Capitol grounds from three kick-off points, which netted around P2 million for the province’s scholarship fund. Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos Recto led the annual march escorted by matinee idol Diether Ocampo, who personally advocates community service through his pro-children K.I.D.S. Foundation, and Roberto Huang, president of San Miguel Brewery, Inc., which donated P1 million to the educational aid organization. With the theme “Hakbang sa Pagbabago, Alay sa Kabataang Batangueño,” this year’s Alay Lakad started from Camp General Miguel Malvar, headquarters of the Batangas Philippine National Police – for employees of various government agencies in the province;  Caedo Commercial Center – for teachers and employees of the Department of Education (DepEd) and other public schools, and Boys/Girls Scouts of the Philippines; and near the Bridge of Promise in Gulod Labac - for participants from private schools and non-government agencies.  (Ferdinand Castro) 

MINE FIRM EYEING BAGUIO LANDFILL

ITOGON, Benguet – The management of the defunct Benguet Corporation here will continue with the earlier plan to convert its former open mine site into a state-of-the-art engineered sanitary landfill that will cater to the solid waste problems of Baguio City and other neighboring towns in the province. However, the corporation wants a sustained partnership among the municipal government of Itogon, the city government of Baguio, and the provincial government of Benguet so that the sanitary landfill project will be utilized to the fullest for the benefit of all concerned local governments. Under the company’s mine rehabilitation plan that was submitted to the Cordillera office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the company proposed the conversion of the open pit mine site into an engineered sanitary landfill site for the benefit of all surrounding local governments. Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan welcomed the decision of the company to push through with the landfill project since the city government will have an alternative in the determination of its permanent engineered sanitary landfill site that will totally address the city’s solid waste problems. (Dexter See)