LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel A. Roxas II declared here yesterday his support to calls for the autonomy of the Cordillera Administrative Region.
But in the meantime that it is still being ironed out in the Congress, Roxas said the most important assistance package that the national government could provide is to download as many resources to help residents further improve their lives.
“I support the calls for the autonomy but my analysis here based on my discussion with the locals and leaders pushing for it is their requests for additional resources,” Roxas said.
“So for me, this (calls for autonomy of the Cordillera Administrative Region) is an issue of resources, additional resources for infrastructure, additional resources from the government,” he added.
According to Roxas, the Aquino administration has already started the physical infrastructure that is aimed at expanding the growth of the agriculture-based economy of CAR.
For instance, he said, the usual five to six hours travel time from Baguio City to Manila has already been cut to more than three hours due to road widening and building of more roads and bridges that connect the region to the metropolis. (Aaron B. Recuenco)
