| Membership and Organizational Process The Cordillera Peoples Alliance is composed of 
          community organizations and sectoral federations 
          in the Cordillera region — mainly indigenous peasants who comprise 
          the bulk of its members, formal wage workers and odd-job workers, youth 
          and students, women, professionals, and church people.
 
 There 
            are also some individual members who abide by the CPA principles and 
            who consistently support CPA programs and activities. The 
            member federations, organizations, and individuals are bound by the 
            CPA Declaration of Principles and General Program. They are further 
            guided by its Constitution and By-Laws, as well as policies and decisions 
            adapted by its duly constituted bodies. As 
            an alliance, CPA promotes the principle of consensus in decision-making, 
            after free and full discussions with due respect to independence of 
            each member. CPA also promotes the principle of mutual support, cooperation, 
            and protection in the relations of it members. CPA 
            continues to expand its members through organizing of indigenous communities 
            and sectors and active networking with other indigenous organizations, 
            institutions and individuals. LEADERSHIP BODIESThe Regional Congress is the highest decision-making body of the CPA. It is composed of representatives 
                  of member-organizations, sectors and some individuals.  It meets in an assembly every two years for 
                  the evaluation, formulation of the general two-year program and thrust 
                  and policies of the
                
                  Alliance
                
                . 
                The Regional Congress elects the members of the Regional Council.
 
 The 
                    Regional Council (RC) is the highest decision-making body in between 
                    regional congresses. The Regional Council formulates the bi-annual campaign 
                    plans of CPA and organizational policies pertaining to the work of the 
                    Executive Committee and the Commissions. The RC is composed of representatives 
                    of chapters and regional sectoral organizations and alliances, elected 
                    by the participants of the regional congress. The RC meets twice a year. 
                At present, the Regional Council has 23 members.
 
 The 
                    Executive Committee, elected by the Regional Council, exercises general 
                    leadership and makes decisions and practical plans between Regional 
                    Council meetings. It is composed of the CPA Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons, 
                    the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General, the Treasurer, 
                    and the Heads of Commissions as ex-officio members. The EC meets at 
                    least once in three months and as the need arises. The EC collectively 
                    supervises the implementation of the campaign and other plans assigned 
                    to the regional secretariat. It also decides on administrative and financial 
                    matters. The EC members are directly accountable to the Regional Council. 
                    It also works closely with the leadership bodies of the Chapters and 
                sectoral member-organizations.
 
 The 
                    EC members are the official spokespersons of CPA at the regional level 
                    and represents the Alliance in various activities. There are three members 
                    of the EC who are full time in working with the regional secretariat, 
                    namely the Chairperson, the Secretary General and the Deputy secretary 
            General.
 MAIN 
            OFFICERSThe 
              current members of the Executive Committee are the following:
 Chairperson: Mr. Windel Bolinget
 Vice Chairperson for external affairs: Ms. Jill Cariño
 Vice Chairperson for internal affairs: Mr. Xavier Akien
 Secretary General: Ms. Abigail Anongos
 Deputy Secretary General: Mr. Santos Mero
 Treasurer: Ms. Elvira Taguba
 The  Regional Secretariat serves as the EC’s staff in managing the CPA regional center and  the implementation of its programs on a daily 
            basis at the regional level. Secretariat members staff the various CPA 
            Commissions, which include the Education Commission, the Public Information 
            Commission, the Research Commission, the Solidarity Commission, and 
            an Elders' Desk. There are five full-time staff 
            of the regional secretariat. The regional secretariat also acts as the 
            regional campaign secretariat while at the same time implementing the 
            programs of the different Commissions in close coordination with member-organizations. 
            The regional secretariat also provides support and assistance to the 
            needs of CPA members. CHAPTERS AND SECTORSAt present, CPA has provincial 
              chapters and affiliate organizations in the provinces of Abra, Kalinga, 
              Ifugao,  Mountain Province 
               , Apayao and the City of  Baguio 
               . Organizing work among Cordillerans in Metro Manila 
              and overseas is being facilitated by CPA Likewise, organizations 
              and alliances covering indigenous communities in other regions adjacent 
              to the Cordillera have affiliated with CPA.
 
 Regional 
              sectoral organizations and alliances that are affiliated with CPA 
              include those based among peasants (APIT TAKO or Alliance of Peasants 
              in the Cordillera Homeland), workers (KMU-Cordillera), youth and 
              students (Anakbayan-Cordillera), women (Innabuyog-Gabriela), 
              elders (Binodngan Pungors Organization and AM-IN), urban poor, and 
              the Dap-ayan ti Kultura iti Kordilyera (DKK or the regional umbrella 
              of cultural organizations).
 Regional organizations of government employees 
            and church people are working towards formal affiliation. The 
            chapters of CPA and sectoral-member organizations have their own leadership 
            structures and particular programs, while carrying the General Programme 
            of Action of CPA. Their full time staff and or pool of volunteers are 
            mainly engaged in sustained organizing work of indigenous communities 
            and sectors. The Regional Secretariat and the Executive Committee work 
            closely with the leadership bodies and volunteers of CPA chapters and 
            sectoral organizations in the over-all implementation of CPA’s 
            program, activities and campaigns. LINKS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Within the Cordillera region, CPA is affiliated 
              with the Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC), which 
              is a network of 11 major non-government organizations (NGOs) with excellent 
            track records in undertaking various socio-economic development programs in  Cordillera communities.
 CPA is one of the convenors of the Save the Abra 
            River Movement (STARM) and works closely with member-organizations in 
            the campaign to save the Abra River from further pollution and destruction 
            by Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company. CPA is also in partnership with DINTEG (Cordillera 
            Indigenous Peoples Legal Center) and the CHRO (Cordillera Human Rights 
            Organization) in coordinating the overall human rights campaign and 
            advocacy work in the region in providing services to victims of human 
            rights violations human rights advocacy-related services. The establishment 
            of DINTEG and CHRO were initiated by CPA in response to the worsening 
            militarization and human rights violations in the region. Believing that the problems of the Cordillera 
            indigenous peoples are similar to those of other indigenous peoples 
            in the Philippines and worldwide, the CPA actively seeks to establish 
            linkages with other indigenous peoples’ movements and organizations 
            nationwide and overseas. It is ready to work with other organizations 
            and individuals of other political persuasions based on our principles 
            and in the pursuit of common causes and demands. On this basis, the CPA is an affiliated with 
            the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN, New Patriotic Alliance), a national 
            federation of people’s organizations in the Philippines committed 
            to nationalist and democratic goals. It is also a member of KALIKASAN 
            (People's Environment Network) and is in partnership with IBON Foundation, 
            a research and advocacy institution. It is also affiliated with the Kalipunan ng mga 
            Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP, National Federation of Indigenous 
            Peoples of the Philippines). CPA is not affiliated with any political party 
            and maintains its independence as a civil-society mass organization. At 
            the international level, CPA is a member of the Asian Indigenous Peoples 
            Pact, and the International Alliance of Indigenous/Tribal Peoples of 
            the Tropical Forest (International Alliance). It is also a member and 
            facilitator of the Rivers Watch, East and Southeast Asia (RWESA) and 
            a member of the Mining and Communities Network (MAC). CPA maintains 
            partnership and solidarity relations with numerous international organizations 
            and NGOs that have extended various forms of support and assistance 
          to the program and campaigns of CPA. |