CORDILLERA
A Short History of the
Cordillera
Pre-Colonial Era
Settlement patterns differed
◦ Dispersed settlements of single
households
◦ Hamlet-like settlements of several
households
◦ Villages
◦ Village groups
People identified themselves
according to
Family and extended family groups
Specific villages or “ili”
Village groups or “ili”
Pre-Colonial Era
Social organizations, from families to
village groups, were autonomous and
self-determining
Intermittent inter-community conflicts
Strong conflict resolution mechanisms
Mutual help systems, within and
between communities
Trade with other communities, both
highland and lowland
Spanish Colonial Era
Regalian Doctrine
◦ All lands and resources in colonized territories
belong to the King
◦ The King must give permission to use and
exploit lands and resources, through the
issuance of a title
Christian Cultural and Religious Aggression
◦ Christian superiority was aggressively
promoted
◦ Non-Christians labeled as savages
◦ Active demolition of indigenous culture
◦ Indigenous belief systems discouraged
Spanish Colonial Era
Spanish interest in the
Cordillera mountains
heightened by presence of
gold deposits
1864-1874, Cantabro-
Filipino Company copper
mines operated in Lepanto
Historical Differentiation
Spanish occupation of highland areas were short-
lived, and so mountain people retained much of
their indigenous systems, making them significantly
different from lowland natives who absorbed
Spanish cultural, political and religious influences
American Colonial Era
American Colonial Era
Land Registration Act of 1902
affirmed the Regalian Doctrine,
with the State (or government)
owning lands and resources
unless it grants titles
American Colonial Era
Establishment of a road network
Good roads leading to Baguio City
facilitated the establishment of mines in
Benguet
1903 Benguet Corporation established
1925 Itogon-Suyoc Mines established
1931 Atok Big Wedge mining company
established
1936 Lepanto Consolidated Mining
Company established
Logging of forests for mines and
construction
American Colonial Era
Continuing historical
differentiation Although most of
the Cordillera villages were
Christianized under the
Americans, much of indigenous
culture and religion persisted,
keeping the Cordillera people
significantly different from
lowland natives
1956 Ambuklao
Post-WWII
Dam becomes
operational
1960, Binga Dam
begins operation
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Philippines
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Martial Law Era Development
Issues
1973, Cellophil Resources Corporation
(CRC) and Cellulose Processing
Corporation (CPC) awarded almost
100,000 hectares each as logging
concession. This extended across Abra,
Mt. Province, Kalinga-Apayao and some
parts of llocos Norte and llocos Sur. Most
affected were the Tinguian (Itneg) of Abra,
whose lands were located in the CRC-CPC
concessions. This event marked the
choice of armed struggle in the region
since democratic means proved inutile.
Chico River Dam Project. Funded
by the World Bank, four big dams
were supposed to be constructed
along the Chico River, and the
lakes the dams would create
would inundate or cover with silt
whole villages along the river
from Bila, Bauko to Tomiangan,
Tabuk.
1975. PD 705. Declares all lands
with 16.2º or 18% slope NOT
alienable and disposable, or
cannot be owned by individuals
Increasing
protests
against
development
aggression
led to
militarization
and growth of
the CPP-NPA
in the
Cordilleras
Proposed Apayao-Abulog River Dams
(2 dams)
Mining issues, revolving on
destructive mining methods, the
displacement of traditional
communities, the limited share of
host communities to revenues and
taxes, and the marginalization of
small-scale miners
Cultural integrity issues, particularly
the commercialization of culture and
continuing discrimination against
indigenous people
April 24, 1981. Macliing Dulag
martyred.
Increased national and
international awareness and
support for Cordillera rights
movement
Protest movement intensifies
1986. Corazon Aquino becomes
president
1986. CPLA breaks away from
CPP-NPA-NDF, calls for
independence or nationhood as
the appropriate form of self-
determination, later to change
their demand to autonomy
September 13, 1986. Mount Data
1987 February. Constitution that
provides for the creation of an
Autonomous Region for the Cordillera
ratified
1987 July 15. President Aquino signs
Executive Order No. 220 creating the
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
with the following purposes: (1)
administer the affairs of government in
the region; (2) accelerate the economic
and social growth and development of
the units of the region; (3) prepare for
the establishment of the autonomous
region in the Cordilleras.
1990 January 30. RA 6766 (An Act
Providing for an Organic Act for the
Cordillera Autonomous Region)
overwhelmingly rejected in a plebiscite.
Only the province of Ifugao voted in
favor of the Organic Act
1998 March 9. RA 8438, the second
Organic Act enacted by Congress.
Organic Act rejected by Baguio City,
and all CAR provinces except Apayao.
“For our freedom
we rise and fight, our
priceless ancestral
birthright.”
“Dreams of peace, of oneness and progress,
Cherished dreams our region presses.”
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Contact Us:
nedaspcar@gmail.com / car@neda.gov.ph
(074) 442-3232 | 09173271734
