Dalog  also took note of  the significance of this year’s grand opening in Mountain Province, citing that  it was in Mt. Data Hotel  in Bauko municipality where the  government of the Philippines and the Cordillera People's Liberation Army  signed on September 13, 1986 a peace accord  which triggered the establishment of the Cordillera Administrative Region through Executive Order 220 issued by President Corazon C. Aquino on July 15, 1987, in  preparation for the creation of an autonomous region for the Cordillera as provided under the 1987 Constitution.

Mountain Province Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. said that to ensure social development and inclusive growth, Cordillerans have to develop policies, programs and projects that are responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people of the Cordillera since at present, many of the national policies and programs of line agencies are not appropriate to the situation in the Cordillera region.
 
“The way to ensure appropriate social development and inclusive growth is to involve our people, the people of Sagada, the people of Mountain Province, and the people of the entire Cordillera, in the formulation of policies, programs and projects that will respond to our particular conditions, needs and aspirations. This is possible with the establishment of an Autonomous Region of the Cordillera as enshrined in Section 15, Article 10 of the Constitution. This must be the focus of our efforts. The people of the Cordillera must tell the world that the way to progress is Cordillera Autonomy,” Lacwasan said.
 
He urged all government units to    carry the message to our people that autonomy is the way to social development and inclusive growth.

Kalinga Governor James Edduba also expressed his untiring support to the creation of a Cordillera autonomous region.
 
"To the Cordillerans, addu ti natay panggep ti panang laban ditoy Autonomy. Isugarod ti 1987 Constitution ket adda ti mai-establish nga Autonomous Region ti Muslim Mindanao ken Cordillera. Idiay Mindanao naala dan, na-achieve dan jay kayat da, kadatayo nag i-Cordillera, datayo ni naibati, (many sacrificed their lives in the fight for autonomy. It has been written in the 1987 Constitution the establishment of the autonomous region for the Muslim Mindanao and the Cordillera;  it has been granted in the Muslim Mindanao but we, Cordillerans,  have  not achieved autonomy),” Edduba said.
 
 Edduba urged the Cordillerans to support the pursuit of Cordillera autonomy for the future of the children. “Tatta kuma metten nga aware tayo ti Cordillera autonomy, even dagitoy ubing ket pangaasi tayo kuma ta supportaran tayu daytoy establishment ti Cordillera Autonomy, (Now that we including our children are aware and educated on  the Cordillera autonomy, we should support the establishment of a Cordillera autonomous region), the governor added.

For his part, Sadaga Mayor Felicito Dula thanked the Regional Development Council for selecting the municipality of Sagada as the venue for the kick off program and he also expressed support to the advocacies and pursuit of Cordillera autonomy.
 
"Marking the 35th Cordillera Anniversary Celebration, we enjoin your noble activities which highlight the presentations of our native products, the tree planting activity which was done, and the beating of the Cordillera Unity Gong. These meaningful activities you have planned for this municipality is not a fantasy of kindness and humility but rather, to treasure the values and aspiration with hope to become one region and nation. We are very proud that you have selected Sagada for this event, as we feel that you like us very much not because we are one of the most visited towns in Northern Luzon,” Dula said.  

This year’s    Cordillera Month celebration with the theme “One Autonomous Cordillera: Ensuring Social Development and Inclusive Growth in the New World,” is hosted by the Regional Development Council – Regional Social Development Committee with the Mountain Province as the host province,

The kick off ceremony started with tree planting  at the Saint Mary’s School compound,   followed by the indigenous prayers or the “Dawis di Etag” led by Sagada Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative Jaime Tigan-o,  cultural performances and the program 

 The program was capped with the beating of the Cordillera unity gong following the solidarity messages of the Cordillera leaders. (JDP/RMC PIA-CAR)

This year’s    Cordillera Month celebration with the theme “One Autonomous Cordillera: Ensuring Social Development and Inclusive Growth in the New World,” is hosted by the Regional Development Council – Regional Social Development Committee with the Mountain Province as the host province,

The kick off ceremony started with tree planting  at the Saint Mary’s School compound,   followed by the indigenous prayers or the “Dawis di Etag” led by Sagada Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative Jaime Tigan-o,  cultural performances and the program 

 The program was capped with the beating of the Cordillera unity gong following the solidarity messages of the Cordillera leaders. (JDP/RMC PIA-CAR)