ARTICLE VIII

PATRIMONY, ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT

 

Section 91. The Regional Government, with the support of the national government, shall, pursuant to the purposes of regionalization and consistent with the grant of regional autonomy, initiate, stimulate, facilitate, support and coordinate development in the region towards attaining equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth; a sustained increase in the amount of goods and services available to Cordillerans and an expanding productivity and incomes as the key to raising the quality of life for all, and thereby contributing to the goal of national poverty reduction and development.

Section 92. The Regional Government shall take affirmative action to encourage the component government units, non-government organizations, including corporations, cooperatives, peoples' organizations, and similar collective associations, to actively participate and support the economic and social growth and development of the units in the region.

Section 93. The regional development program shall seek accelerated and sustainable economic and social growth and development in the region, taking into account the peculiarities of the social, economic, and geo-physical circumstances of the component Cordillera communities and the need to preserve ecological balance. The regional development plan shall take into account an environmental critical area network zoning and use the watershed as a planning unit considering that the region is a cradle of watersheds.

Section 94. In the formulation and implementation of development policies [e.g. standards, costing etc], plans, programs, and projects, the Regional Government shall, among other things, address the following concerns:

1. Social development which shall include among others, empowering the Cordillerans and their adopted organizations to participate actively, and share equitably, in the benefits of development.

2. Ecosystems management, to include among others the delineation, protection, preservation, rehabilitation and development of watersheds and forest reserves, fish sanctuaries/refuge, and other government reservations that are declared by competent authorities as critical to the survival of the Cordillera communities, and their demarcation as inalienable and protected areas.

3. Knowledge management, which shall include, among others, the inventory, validation, and promotion of indigenous knowledge, systems, practices, institutions and applied researches and inventions that support accelerated and sustainable economic, social growth and development in the region and the protection of these through patents.

4. Research and development, which shall include among others the conduct of applied researches that shall identify the specific causes of unemployment, poverty, and underdevelopment in each of the component units of the region, given their disparities in the socio-cultural, economic, infrastructural, institutional, and natural resource circumstances and the formulation of research-validated regional development strategies and priority programs to address the development needs of these component communities.

5. Institutional development, which shall include among others the strengthening of peoples organizations, cooperatives, and similar institutions, empowering these for accelerating economic and social growth and development and thereby democratizing ownership, participation, and responsibility for development.

6. Land use management which shall include, among others, environmental protection and resources conservation.

7. Urban land reform to address the problem of inadequate shelter and congestion with its attendant social problems.

8. Rural modernization and development through the development and use of appropriate technologies, inventions and applicable indigenous knowledge systems and practices considering the sustainability of agriculture and industrial activities under the topographic circumstances of the region's land resources.

9. Local and regional infrastructure development.

Section 95. The exploration, development, utilization, management and enjoyment of the region's natural resources shall be under the control and supervision of the Regional Government upon consultation, except with respect to uranium, coal and petroleum which shall be under the control and supervision of the national government.

Section 96. The exploitation, exploration, development, enjoyment and utilization of natural resources, except those enumerated in Section 87 of this article, shall be allowed to citizens of the Philippines and to private enterprises, including corporations, cooperatives, and similar collective organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) of their capital investment or capital stocks directly controlled or owned by citizens of the Philippines: Provided that the implementation of programs, projects, and activities related to these natural resources in the region shall comply with the provisions of the Constitution and national laws.

Section 97. The Regional Government shall actively pursue forestation and reforestation programs to ensure that lands not devoted to agriculture in the Autonomous Region shall be covered with trees, giving priority to land strips along the edges of rivers and streams and shorelines of lakes

Section 98. The Regional Government in partnership with the communities, especially the tribal peoples, and their government units, and support of the national government shall adopt measures for the development of communities occupying lands eighteen percent (18%) slope or over, by providing the necessary infrastructure, financial and technical support.

Section 99. The Regional Government shall, as a matter of priority regulate the extraction and processing of mineral and non-mineral resources in the region to protect the ecosystem, including setting limitations on open pit mining and similar non-reversible, environmentally destructive methods of mining. Only responsible mining and quarrying regardless of scale shall be allowed and supported by the regional autonomous government, taking into consideration sustainable rural development, ecological balance and the interest of the communities where such operations are conducted.

Section 100. The Regional Government shall, in coordination with the national government, establish a transportation and communication system interconnecting the various areas of the autonomous region with each other and to other regions adjacent to the Cordilleras. Likewise, the Regional Government in close coordination with component local government units shall plan, construct, modernize and maintain rural and urban infrastructure facilities and utilities, including alternative transport systems within critical environments.

Section 101. Subject to ecological considerations, the Regional Government shall adopt and implement a comprehensive rural agrarian reform program, as well as an urban development program consistent with the Constitution and national laws and policies to ensure the just and sustainable utilization of land within its jurisdiction.

Section 102. The Regional Government shall, while maintaining national standards pertaining to the protection, conservation, and enhancement, of the environment and natural resources, develop standards appropriate to the socio-cultural and environmental uniqueness of the Cordillera.