BAUKO, Mountain Province – The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has certainly come a long way since the signing of the Mt. Data Sipat Peace Accord in 1986 and is expected to continue moving forward in its quest for greater peace, progress and autonomy.
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the national government stands behind the people of Cordillera as they lay the foundations where all their hopes and aspirations for their homeland will come into fruition.
“The national government remains steadfast in its efforts to support our Cordilleran brothers and sisters’ continued march towards long-lasting peace and sustainable development through the implementation of various peace programs, projects, and activities,” Galvez said in his keynote message during the commemoration of the 38th Anniversary of the Mt. Data Sipat (Peace Accord) on Sept. 13.
A clarion call for peace and autonomy
It has been almost four decades since the Philippine Government, under the administration of then President Corazon Aquino, and the Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army, led by Fr. Conrado Balweg, heeded the clarion call for peace that paved the way to the signing of a ceasefire agreement on Sept. 13, 1986.
The ceasefire ended the decades-long armed conflict between both parties and resulted in the issuance of Executive Order No. 220 s.1987 on July 15, 1987 that established the CAR.
According to Mountain Province Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr., ‘Sipat’ is one of the most precious documents for the people of Cordillera, as it embodies their aspirations for peace, progress, and development in the region.
In his message, Lacwasan encouraged his fellow Cordillerans to remain focused and not lose hope in their fight for genuine autonomy in the region.
“I hope that the 38 years of waiting will not discourage us [Cordillerans], on the contrary, I hope it will give us more reason to put our acts together,” the governor said.
Pag-asa Goldamir Balweg, a kin of the late Fr. Balweg, delivered a message of peace, as she called on her fellow Cordillerans to set aside personal interests, work together and further strengthen their commitment to support ongoing peace interventions.
“Let us be reminded of the fundamental reasons behind this commemoration... Autonomy is not just a political issue—it is about self-determination, about ensuring that we, the people of the Cordilleras, have the power to shape our own future,” Balweg said.
“It is about building on the peace we have secured and ensuring that our rights, culture, and identity are fully recognized and respected,” she added.
Meanwhile, Engr. Andres Ngao-I Sr., vice-chairperson of the Joint Evaluation and Monitoring Committee (JEMC) for the GPH-CBA-CPLA Peace Process, emphasized that the commemoration of the Mt. Data Peace Accord is a reminder to Cordillerans that they have achieved something significant–genuine peace–which those who came before them have fought hard for.
Congressman Maximo Dalog Jr., represented by Dionisio Wasdisen and CAR Regional Director Atty. Joshua Pablito, representative of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista also expressed their strong support to the Cordilleran’s march towards peace and development. Pablito noted that the Sipat Peace Accord “marked the end of hostilities and started an era of peace and development in the Cordillera, enabling them to pursue transport projects that improved overall mobility and connectivity in the province.”
Epicenter of peace and development
A day before the 38th commemoration of the Sipat Peace Accord, the governors, local government officials and representatives from various government agencies in Cordillera, together with Presidential Peace Adviser Galvez, participated in the Third Quarter Full Regional Development Council Meeting.
The meeting tackled updates on Cordillera’s fight for autonomy and on initiatives to further improve sustainable development in the region.
Galvez committed that, “Cordillera will not be left behind.”
He likewise recommended creating an Inter-cabinet Cluster on the Transformation of Cordillera to replicate what is being done at Bangsamoro and to ensure the successful implementation of peace and development initiatives in the Cordillera.
During the meeting, the governors and mayors of Cordillera expressed their commitment to fully support the autonomy of Cordillera as stated in the constitution.
This year, the OPAPRU has allotted almost 600 million pesos to support the socio-economic and development programs in Cordillera. For the upcoming CY 2025, it has allotted around 594,000 million pesos for the region, totaling to an estimated amount of 1.2 billion pesos for the two years.
The 38th anniversary celebration of the Sipat Peace Accord also marked another significant milestone in the province’s peace and development with the groundbreaking ceremony for the Balicanao-Am-am Provincial Road improvement project. This PHP25 million project will be carried out under the OPAPRU’s PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program.
This will serve as a by-pass road or an alternate route to help the farmers of Mountain Province in bringing their products to other neighboring provinces. Mountain Province has been allocated 105 million pesos for CY 2024 and additional 212 million pesos for CY 2025, according to a news release on Wednesday.
“Since the signing of this [Sipat] historic peace agreement, we have seen sustained peace, development and progress take root in the Cordillera region, leading to the amazing transformation of the lives of former combatants, their families, and communities,” Galvez pointed out in his message.
He also reaffirmed the national government’s firm commitment to transform the region that once housed the first national battalion of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army/National Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF), into an epicenter of peace and development.
The peace adviser then called for the harmonization of efforts of all stakeholders— provincial and municipal local government units, national government agencies, civil society and the security sector.
He reminded the LGUs that the key in turning their project proposals into reality is to do complete staff work.
Galvez also vowed to support the Mountain Province State University that has been supporting the OPAPRU in promoting peace education in the region.
“Ang Cordillera ay tutulungan natin (We will help Cordillera) to change its atmosphere to be conducive for peace, reconciliation and unity notwithstanding its call for self-determination and its aspiration for autonomy,” Galvez said. (PR)
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