BAGUIO CITY – The Regional Development Council’s “Unity Gong” will once again tour the different provinces of Cordillera this month to sound the call for support and strengthening of ties of local government units and communities bringing economic growth and progress through the attainment of regional autonomy.
RDC Cordillera officials, in a kapihan media forum, launched the 29th celebration of Cordillera Month, which for this year adopts the theme, “CAR @29: Working together for an Autonomous and Empowered Cordillera”.
The journey of the Unity Gong is among the highlights of the Cordillera Month celebration in the past four years, given a gong’s significance among the different cultural communities in the region.
For this year, the Unity Gong relay kick off program will be in the morning of July 9 at the Baguio City hall grounds. It will then proceed to Lagawe, Ifugao for the July 10 turn-over program.
From Ifugao, it moves to Tabuk City, Kalinga then to Luna, Apayao on July 11; Bangued, Abra on July 12; Bontoc, Mt. Province on July 13, and La Trinidad, Benguet in the morning of July 14, then back to Baguio in the late afternoon of the same day.
DILG Regional Director Marlo Iringan said the Gong’s journey has already been coordinated with the provincial governors and local chief executives as their presence for the turn –over ceremony has been part of the tradition.
DSWD Regional Director Janet Armas, in a statement, outlined the importance of the local chief executives as well as the communities’ support for the pursuit of regional autonomy which is mandated by the Constitution.
Armas shared that they are already bringing in the autonomy advocacy to their program beneficiaries, down to the grass root level, to explain to them what benefits autonomy could bring in their respective localities.
DSWD, who chairs the RDC Regional Social Development Committee, is the chair of this year’s technical working group for the celebration./JDP/CCD-PIA CAR
