LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The renewed pursuit for regional autonomy in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is continuously getting the support of the national government due to the appropriation of funds to intensify the required information and education campaign to instill in the minds of the people the true meaning of self-governance.

In this year’s P1.5-trillion national budget which was recently signed into law by President Arroyo, the Office of the President earmarked P15 million in the budget of the Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC) to expand the existing machinery of concerned government agencies, local officials, and the private sector in the quest for self rule within reasonable time.

The amount, which is much lower than the P48 million earlier proposed by the RDC-CAR for the renewed pursuit for regional autonomy and development, will be utilized mainly to impart to the Cordillerans, especially the present generation, the advantages of decentralizing the powers of the national government to the proposed regional government to be established once the third Organic Act will be ratified by the people.

Juan Ngalob, regional director of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and acting RDC-CAR chairman, disclosed that part of the funds will be used to bankroll an upcoming tracking survey to ascertain the voter inclination of Cordillerans on the quest for self-determination.

According to Ngalob, the survey aims to determine how far the RDC-CAR has gone in making people understand the establishment of an autonomous region in the Cordillera as enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution after nearly three years of advocating for the region to become autonomous from the national government.