BAGUIO CITY – Local government units, regional line agencies and civil society organizations regionwide are ready for the simple but meaningful activities lined up by the organizers of the 29th founding anniversary celebration of the Cordillera Administrative Region this July.
The activities were prepared by the technical working group chaired by the Cordillera office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-CAR) and co-chaired by Baguio City with theme “ CAR at 29: Working Together for an Autonomous and Empowered Cordillera.”
Rafael B. Tallocoy, Executive Assistant at the City Mayor’s Office, said that the city government is ready to welcome the delegates from the different provinces who will be attending the program and the parade scheduled for July 15, 2016 in time for the 29th founding anniversary of the establishment of the special administrative region.
For her part, Janet Armas, DSWD-CAR regional director, said that concerned government agencies are now busy finalizing the preparations for the Unity Gong and the various activities lined up for the region’s anniversary celebration that will focus on unity, quest for robust development and poverty reduction through the interventions of the government under various programs and projects.
The week-long Unity Gong Relay will kick off in Baguio City, then proceed to Lagawe in Ifugao, before travelling to Tabuk city in Kalinga, Luna in Apayao, Bangued in Abra, Bauko in Mountain Province, La Trinidad in Benguet and back to Baguio City in time for the Cordillera Day main program on July 15, 2016 to be held at the Baguio Convention Center.
Before the main program, delegates from the provinces will join the civic-military parade from Session road up to the Baguio Convention Center where the program will be held from 8:30 am to 12 noon of the same day.
During the main program, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will be putting up a Coffee Pavilion that will offer free-flowing coffee to all those who will be attending the culminating activity.
At around 5 pm on July 15, 2016 at the SM City Baguio, fashion enthusiasts will be treated to the Shayonney Cordillera Fashion Show courtesy of the Shayonney Inc.
On July, 22, 2016, the Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) will be launching the “Brown for Good: DA Contributions to Cordillera Agriculture” which will be held at the DA conference hall.
On the other hand, the Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR) will be announcing the launching of the Monograph: Cordillera Struggles for Autonomy which contains the life stories of those instrumental in the clamor for self-governance and self-determination tracing back to the struggle against the Chico dam and the Cellophil Resources projects which were seen to compromise the region’s environment.
It will be recalled that on July 15, 1987, former President Corazon C. Aquino signed into law Executive Order No. 220 that established the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) composed of the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Mountain Province and Baguio City from Region I and the provinces of Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao from Region II./Dexter A. See