Republic Act No. 8438/Article VII

by Congress of the Philippines

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Article—VII

Patrimony, Economy and Development

Section 1. The regional government shall initiate, stimulate, facilitate, support and catalyze development in the region.

Sec. 2. The regional development plan shall incorporate the priority projects identified in the integrated local development plans and shall take into account the peculiarities of the different environments within the region.

Sec. 3. The formulation and implementation of development programs in the Cordillera shall, among other things, address the following concerns:

(a) Delineation, protection, preservation and development of watersheds, public parks, and other government reservations that are declared by competent authorities as critical to the survival of the communities and declaration of such areas inalienable;

(b) Respect for indigenous concepts, processes and institutions as bases of development;

(c) The need for development strategies to meet disparities in natural resource endowments among communities. These include the need for programs that enhance physical, economic, and social mobility of the people;

(d) The need for cooperative organizations and similar institutions as instruments for democratizing ownership and management of public utilities;

(e) Urban land reform and socialized housing to minimize the problem of inadequate shelter and congestion with its attendant social problems;

(f) Development and use of appropriate technology based on indigenous conservation practices;

(g) Democratization of ownership of enterprises and equitable distribution of the benefits of development.

Sec. 4. The exploitation, exploration, development, enjoyment and utilization of natural resources found in the CAR shall be under the control and supervision of the regional government upon due consultation, except with respect to uranium, coal and petroleum which shall be under the control and supervision of the national government.

Sec. 5. The exploitation, exploration, development, enjoyment and utilization of natural resources, except those enumerated in Section 4 of this article, shall be allowed to all Filipinos and to private enterprises, including corporations, cooperatives, and similar collective organizations.

Sec. 6. The regional government shall actively and immediately pursue reforestation measures to ensure that lands not devoted to agriculture shall be covered with trees, giving priority to land strips along the edges of rivers and streams and shorelines of lakes.

Sec. 7. The regional 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.

Sec. 8. There shall be a Regional Planning and Development Board which shall serve as the Regional Development Council. It shall be composed of the regional governor, as chairman, and the following as members thereof: all the provincial governors, the city mayor, two (2) members of the assembly to be designated by the regional vice-governor, representatives of the regional line agencies, and the CAR congressmen or their duly authorized representatives.

The Board shall act as the planning, monitoring and coordinating body for the CAR. It shall prepare and submit a comprehensive regional medium-term and long-term development plan, and annual work programs to the regional governor, for proper implementation. The regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority shall serve as the secretariat and technical arm of the Board.

Sec. 9. Small-scale mining shall receive support from and be regulated by the autonomous region, taking into consideration ecological balance and the interest of the communities where such operations are conducted.

Sec. 10. The regional government may establish and capitalize a Regional Development Bank which shall administer its own funds. The bank shall be under the supervision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and under the general banking laws.

Sec. 11. The regional government shall, in coordination with the national government, plan, construct and maintain a system of roads interconnecting the various areas of the region to other regions adjacent to the Cordilleras and shall establish a regionwide telecommunications system to enable all the municipalities within the region to be equipped with telephone, telegraph or radio facilities.

Sec. 12. Subject to ecological considerations, the regional government shall adopt and implement a comprehensive urban land reform and land use program consistent with the Constitution and national laws and policies to ensure the just utilization within their jurisdiction.