Cordillera Administrative Region
Cordillera
Administrative
Region (CAR)
• It is located in the North-Central part of
Luzon and encompasses most of the areas
within the Cordillera Central mountain
range of Luzon.
• It is bounded by Ilocos Norte and Cagayan
in the North, Pangasinan and Nueva
Vizcaya in the South, Cagayan Valley in the
East, and the Ilocos Region in the West.
• It is the country's only land-locked region.
It has a mountainous topography and
dubbed as the "Watershed Cradle of
North Luzon" as it hosts nine major rivers
that provide continuous water for
irrigation and energy for Northern Luzon.
• The Cordillera Administrative Region
was established on July 15, 1987
through Executive Order No. 220
issued by President Corazon Aquino.
• The provinces of Kalinga and Apayao
are combined to form the sub-
province of Kalinga-Apayao.
• signing into law of Republic Act No.
7878 by President Ramos on February
14, 1995 the province of Kalinga-
Apayao was converted into two
separate and regular provinces.
Dialect Spoken:
Ilocano, Isneg, Tagalog and
English
Religion:
Approximately 9% of the population
are Christians. Apayao are spirit-filled
for they believe in spiritual powers of
all sorts. The Isnegs’ spirituality is
manifested in their belief that God,
referred as to Alawagan and other
spirits all around, are factors in their
abundant environmental resources
Dialect Spoken:
Kankana-ey, Ibaloi, Kalanguya,
Bontoc, Ilocano, Tagalog and
English
Religion:
The ancient Indigenous People believed
in God Almighty -Kabunian. However,
some elders and leaders claimed that
the indigenous peoples’ belief in
Kabunian and ancestor worship is not
paganism, but more appropriately,
animism, which carried a deep respect
for nature and the spirit of the dead.
Christianity was introduced through the
Spanish missionaries
Dialect Spoken:
Ifugao, Tawili, Ayangan,
Kalanguya, Ilocano, Tagalog and
English
Religion:
About half of all Ifugaos have
embraced Christianity but their
animist beliefs have been absorbed
into their Christian beliefs. The
Ifugao have traditionally believed
their lives were ruled by spirits
called anitos.
• Kalinga is both a tribal community
and a landlocked province in the
heart of the Cordillera Region. The
name Kalinga believed to have
originated from the Gaddang and
Ibanag languages, means
“headhunter.” Kalinga people
could be identified from a
distance by their distinctive body
art. Today Kalinga tattoo art is
popular with tourists but scarcely
adorns authentic skin.
• World renowned Apo Whang-Od is
the last practicing traditional
mambabatok or tattoo artist in the
whole region. In her age, time is
running out for her to pass on the
time-honored hand tapping
technique and tribal motifs to her
grand daughter and apprentice.
Although locals rarely practice the
tattoo tradition today, tourists are
currently flocking to Buscalan
village to have this living legend
scar their skin
Dialect Spoken:
Basalangao, Tanudan,
Labuagan, Ilocano, Tagalog and
English
Religion:
17.6% of the population of the Cordillera
Administrative Region, of which Kalinga
province is a part, was classified as "Other" in
religious affiliation, meaning adherents of
indigenous religion. The rest followed a form of
Christianity: 65.8% of the region's population is
Roman Catholic, 8.9% Evangelical, 2.9% Iglesia
ni Cristo, 1.6% Jehovah's Witness
Dialect Spoken:
Ilocano, Bontoc, Kankana-ey,
Tagalog and English
Religion:
Traditional religion remains strong among
the Bontoc, especially spirits associated with
the dead. These spirits, known as anito, live
in a spirit world in the mountains that is not
unlike the one people live in. They are
consulted on all characterized matters and
relay their answers through bird calls.
Lumawig is the supreme deity. The patay are
hereditary clan of preachers who conduct
ceremonies to honor Lumawig.
