BAGUIO CITY (PIA) —The Cordillera Regional Development Council supports the Inter-cabinet Cluster Mechanism for Cordillera Transformation (ICCCT) proposed by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).
The ICCCT is a mechanism being proposed to be implemented in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to generate support from the national government for the transformation of the region and ensure the successful implementation of peace and development initiatives in the area.
“This mechanism we aim to implement in the Cordillera Region is inspired by the Inter-Cabinet Custer Mechanism on Normalization, which has played a pivotal role in advancing our normalization program in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM),” OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. said.
The ICCCT aims to provide coordinated support to peace and development programs and projects in the Cordillera outlined in the development plans, Galvez added.
He said the proposal has been discussed with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and he is keen on supporting the initiative to ensure a lasting and inclusive development in CAR.
“As underscored by the President, he is determined to put an end to armed struggle and armed conflict during his term. The OPAPRU is committed to help the President make this vision a reality,” he said.
RDC officials led by chairperson Apayao Governor Elias Bulut Jr. and co-chair Edna Tabanda, welcome the proposed ICCT for CAR, which they believe will contribute to a more resilient CAR that is more capable and empowered to sustain the gains of the peace process.
Bulut expressed that if it was successful in BARMM, then it should also be done in the Cordillera as a tool to implement development goals in the region.
“This will cater to us directly. This is an opportunity for our region. We have been longing for a special budget for our region, funds that are on top of our usual budget,” Bulut said.
“This has been tried and tested in the BARMM that’s why they’re bringing it here. We will endorse this to the body and consult with and hopefully we can follow the timeline,” said Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who chairs the RDC-Development Administration and Good Governance Committee. (JDP/RMC-PIA CAR)
