Cordillera Administrative Region
Cordillera Administrative Region
Cordillera Administrative Region
Cordillera is one of the prime tourist destinations in the Philippines. It has many
spectacular scenic views and enchantingly cool places. The world-famous Banaue Rice
Terraces in the province of Ifugao is considered as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. This
structure of about 2000 to 6000 years old is a United Nations Organization for Education,
Science and Culture (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Other tourist attractions of the
region include the Sumaguing Cave in Sagada and the mummy caves in Benguet and
Mt. Province. There are four National Parks in the region: Cassamata Hill; Mount Pulag,
which is the highest mountain in Luzon; Mount Data; and Balbalasang-Balbalan.
Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 1,797,660. This represented 2.89%
of the overall population of the Luzon island group, or 1.65% of the entire population of
the Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at
91 inhabitants per square kilometer or 235 inhabitants per square mile.
Abra
The cultural heritage of the people of Abra is clearly in their customs and practices,
especially those of the populace in the mountainous areas. Their collection of antique
porcelains, jars, and gongs speaks of trade with the oriental countries. The indigenous
nature of their cultural practices can be substantiated by their ethnic music, especially
that of the mountain people. It is also the place where Joan of Arc of the Philippines,
Gabriella Silang, took refuge from the pursuing Spanish forces during the Ilocano Revolt.
Abra today is a promising province when it comes to development. Backed by a number
of government-led growth programs, it is soon expected to emerge as a self-reliant
province.
Apayao
The sequence of events which contributed to the creation of the Province of Apayao:
• Benguet in 1846
• Lepanto in 1852
• Bonico in 1859
• Amburayan in 1889
• and Kayapa and Kabugao in 1891
The province of Benguet, as now constituted, have portion of which were parts of the
Districts of Lepanto, Bonico and Amburayan. Early commandancias were divided
into rancherias. The commandancia of Benguet was consisted of 41 rancherias with La
Trinidad, named after Galley's wife, as capital.
In 1899, the Katipunan came to Benguet and united the Igorots and established Benguet
under the Government of the Republic of the Philippines. Ora Juan Cariño of Tublay was
appointed Governor of Benguet and Chairman of the Board. In La Trinidad, Miguel Picarte
was appointed as president but their terms were short lived for the American colonizers
came in the early 1900's.
Under the American rule, civil government was established under Act No. 48 local civil
government of Benguet was established composed of the townships of La Trinidad,
Galiano, Itogon, Tublay, Atok, Kapangan, Balakbak, Palina, Ampusongan, Loo,
Kabayan, Buguias, Adaoay, Bokod, Daclan, Sablan, Kibungan and Ambuklao.
Ifugao
• During the brief occupation of the Spaniards in the province, they established
“pueblos” (towns) headed by the “Alcalde Municipal” and barangays (barrios)
headed by the “Cabeza de Barangay”.
• The Spaniards mainly confined their activities in Kiangan, Ifugao. The Spanish
government ended with the explosion of the Philippine Revolution.
• In 1905, Ifugao, along with Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet, Bontoc, Kalinga, and
Lepanto, was annexed to the newly created Mountain Province. The sub-province
was administered by a Lt. Governor Hon. Luis Pawid of Kiangan became the first
Deputy Governor during the American regime. Captain Pedro Bulan was the last
official to assume the office of Deputy Governor.
• Ifugao became the center of warfare during the last stages of World War II. It was
at Mt. Napulawan in Ifugao that Gen. Yamashita, the “Tiger of Malaya”, set up his
last stand against the Filipino and American forces.
• He originally surrendered to Capt. Grisham of the US Army based in Kiangan
before he was flown to Camp John Hay, Baguio City, where he formally
surrendered.
• At the beginning of World War II, there were five (5) municipalities in Ifugao: Burnay
(later changed to Lagawe by virtue of Republic Act 3380), Kiangan, Banaue,
Hungduan, and Mayoyao.
• Ifugao was converted into a province on June 18, 1966, by virtue of Republic Act
4695 with the municipality of Lagawe as the capital town. The other municipalities
include Asipulo, Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Kiangan,
Lamut, Mayoyao, and Tinoc.
Kalinga
Kalinga as a political domain was non-existent during the 300 years of Spanish colonial
rule. Spanish writers towards the 18th century merely noted that there were inhabitants
of the mountain region at the central dorsal expanse of what the Spaniards called the
Gran Cordillera (mountains) of Luzon. The name “Kalinga” apparently is not indigenous
to the present Kalinga constituency since the word is traced to “Gaddang” dialect.
The name referred to the mountaineers on the eastern side of Gran Cordillera who,
during those years of Spanish occupation of the Cagayan Valley, pestered lowlanders
with their head-hunting raids. Kalinga as name stuck with those mountain dwellers
occupying now the territory of Kalinga Province.
Kalinga was first organized as a political realm under the American political rule when
Mountain Province was created by the Philippine Commission Act 1876 on August 18,
1912. It was one of the five sub-provinces then of Mountain Province when it was divided
into several, sub-provincial units along ethnic lines.
By an act of Congress, Kalinga was lumped with Apayao as one separate province
by RA 5695 which divided Mountain Province into four subprovinces on June 18, 1966.
Kalinga became a separate province by virtue of RA 7878 which divided the Kalinga-
Apayao provinces into two in 1992.
Mountain Province
Act No. 1876 was enacted by the Philippine Commission on August 19, 1908 creating a
big province called Mountain Province to cover the whole mountainous region of central
northern Luzon. Samuel Cane was appointed first governor and the town of Bontoc was
made the capital.
On April 7, 1967, the old Mountain Province was abolished by virtue of Republic Act No.
4695. The sub-provinces were converted into 4 independent provinces: Benguet, Ifugao,
Kalinga-Apayao and Mountain Province (corresponding to the former Bontoc sub-
province). After Mountain Province became independent, Alfredo G. Lamen was elected
in 1969 as the representative of the province in the 7th Congress.
During the Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, the province was part of Region I or the
Ilocos Region. However, On July 15, 1987, President Corazon Aquino signed Executive
Order No. 220 creating the Cordillera Autonomous Region with Mountain Province
together with Abra, Benguet, Ifugao and Kalinga Apayao as the component provinces.
Baguio City
The places surrounding Baguio were first settled primarily by the Ibalois and the
Kankanaeys. In the nearby town of La Trinidad, Benguet, Spaniards established a zeus or
military garrison, but the Kafagway, Baguio City’s former name, was barely touched.
When the American took possession of the Philippines, Baguio started to be known. Much
of this American soldiers, from General to the lowest clerk would took their summer
vacation at Baguio to escape the heat of summer. They then named the place as the
Summer Capital of the Philippines. In year 1903 Filipino, Japanese and Chinese workers
were hired to build the first road directly connecting Baguio with the lowlands of
Pangasinan, the Kennon Road.
The American architect and urban planner Daniel H. Burnham designed the city. The city
got its name, however, from bag-iw meaning “moss” in Ibaloi – the native tongue of the
Benguet province. On September 1, 1909 Baguio was declared a chartered city, the
second after the city of Manila. They further developed Baguio, building parks and public
structures such as Wright Park in honor of Governor General Luke E. Wright, Burnham
Park in honor of Baguio city planner Daniel Burnham, Governor Pack Road, and Session
Road.
People
• The 2020 population of the region is higher by 75,654 from the population of
1.72 million in 2015, and 180,793 more than the population of 1.62 million in
2010. Moreover, it is higher by 432,248 compared with the population of 1.37
million in 2000.
https://psa.gov.ph/content/highlights-cordillera-administrative-region-car-population-
2020-census-population-and
As in the rest of the country, the great majority of the region's population are peasants
engaged in farming and other small-scale production and side occupations. The next
biggest sector is composed of formal wage workers and informal odd-job workers in non-
farm occupations. There is also a sizeable number of students, salaried employees, and
professionals in the few urban and town centers.
Bigger and more diverse populations are found in Cordillera's melting pot areas, such as
those in urban (or rapidly urbanizing) Baguio-Benguet and in the foothills and valleys
adjoining the great lowlands of Luzon. In these areas, the original indigenous
communities have given way to hybrid communities composed of varied mixtures of
indigenous and migrant peoples.
Religion
Majority (65.75 percent) of the population of Cordillera Administrative Region were
Roman Catholics. Evangelicals (8.85 percent) and United Church of Christ in the
Philippines (2.86 percent), followed, while 22.31 percent belonged to other religious
affiliations.
Festivals
1. Say-am Festival of Apayao – February
The province’s way of celebrating their anniversary as a separate province. The
celebration features street dancing, cultural performances, agri-tourism exhibits
and trade fairs.
2. Bodong Festival, Kalinga – February
The festival features music, chants, arts, Kalinga’s songs, and cultural shows,
agri-tourism exhibits and trade fairs.
3. Panagbenga Festival – February
A parade of the flower that abounds in Baguio and Benguet.
4. Panagbenga Street Dance Parade, Baguio City – February/March
Floats, processions, local music and competitions.
5. Arya! Abrenian Kawayan Festival, Bangued – March
Bamboo is a major product in Abra, thus the name of the festival. The celebration
features, parades, fashion shows, balikbayan (visiting overseas Filipinos) night
and cultural shows, celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the province.
6. Mangan Taku Food Fair, Baguio City – April
A showcase for indigenous food from the region’s six provinces.
7. Lang-ay Festival of Mountain Province – April
Cultural festival highlighting the Foundation Anniversary of Mountain Province,
with street dances, theatrical performances, sports competitions and agri-trade
fairs.
8. Gotad Ad Ifugao – June
A cultural festival showcasing cultural presentations, craftsmanship, chants,
songs and rituals.
9. Adivay Festival of Benguet – November
A month-long celebration of agri-tourism through the culture, arts and industries
of Benguet. It culminates in the Grand Cañao and cultural presentations by the
13 municipalities.
The Ifugao people are known for their chants and their unique musical instruments, which
include the nose flute, buzzer and bamboo zither. You may be able to see these in action
and watch dances and rituals at one of the region’s colourful festivals. The Ifugao are
especially known for their organic heirloom tinawon rice, planted on their rice terraces
and harvested once a year.
Other mountain produces and dishes not to be missed include Benguet coffee, gipah
herbal tea, miki abra (a breakfast noodle soup), abra masa podrida (shortbread cookies),
goloria (doughnuts), inladit (sweet crackers), pinalatan (chicken with pomelo leaves and
chili), pinaltit (a ground-pork appetiser), abraw (vegetables stewed in fish paste),
kiniing/etag (smoked meat) and pinunnog (smoked sausage).
Etag
Pinikpikan
The preparation of this well-loved dish
is not rocket science. You just need a
chicken prepped through beating the
chicken's wing and neck through a stick
(thus pinikpikan, from the local term
pikpik which means beat) and then
torching. Now some prefer to just slit the
throat instead of beating it. The torching
part is important because you don't get
a similar taste if you use dressed
chicken.
Pinuneg
Strawberry Taho
INANDILA
a native delicacy of Kalinga, made
of pound malagkit/ sticky
rice,Ladok(the brown precipitate left
in coconut oil extraction) plus brown
sugar/muscovado
Inandila is short for "SINANDILA"
which means "just like a tongue".this
is served in all occassions like
Bodong, weddings, etc.
if you want to eat unlimited Inandila,
visit barangay Naneng, Tabuk City
during the "Inandila Festival" every
March 23.
One of the famous delicacies in Kalinga.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Diplomat Hotel
https://psa.gov.ph/content/cordillera-administrative-region-least-populous-
region-philippines
http://www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com/2020/12/08/cultural-practices-and-rituals-of-the-cordillera/
http://www.gobaguio.com/cordillera-cuisine.html#.YWTsYxpByUk
https://www.destimap.com/index.php?act=place&p=Cordillera-Region,-
Philippines&atype=Landmark
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/phl-ocha-car_profile-
a3_jan2017_1.pdf