Statement of the Cordillera Bodong Administration on the Signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro The Cordillera Bodong

Administration (CBA) celebrates with the nation in the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). It is a milestone in our nations history that shall be remembered as a day when the whole country stood up for peace in the Southern Philippines, a hopeful attempt to finally resolve the four decades conflict in Mindanao that spelled hundreds if not thousands of Filipino lives. In 2011, the government and Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA) signed an agreement towards the CPLAs final disposition of firearms and transformation into a socio-economic organization to continue achieve the spirit and goals of the September 13, 1986 Mount Data Sipat. Challenges since mired its implementation, but these were overcome by the perseverance of the parties who saw the agreement as a chance towards meaningful change, a chance towards communities engagement in governance reform, and a chance to give due respect to the many lives lost in the Cordilleran struggle for self governance and development. A similar yet very unique track of the implementation of the CAB will more so be challenging. The Cordillera Bodong Administration shall stand with the Bangsamoro as they chart this track and shape a region that shall be a model of unity despite diversity of cultures. As peace-loving Cordillerans also granted a chance on autonomy in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, we are one with the Bangsamoro in welcoming this new chapter for sustainable peace and development that shall bring into reality our collective aspiration for real national upliftment and development in the lives of our peoples. We congratulate our Muslim leaders and the national government representatives for their patience and perseverance in this diplomatic approach of peacefully resolving the Mindanao issue in order to end the war and start a peaceful reconstruction and development in Southern Philippines

MAYOR GABINO P. GANGGANGAN Secretary General, CBA