The document provides information about the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) of the Philippines, including its location in northern Luzon, main city of Baguio, and provinces that make up the region. It discusses the geography, population, dialects spoken, products, and tourist attractions of individual provinces like Abra, Apayao, Benguet, and Ifugao. The cultures and histories of indigenous groups in each province are also summarized.

1. The Philippine Tourism,
Culture and Geography

2. Cordillera Administrative Region
(C.A.R.)

3. • The main city in the Cordillera Administrative Region is
Baguio City,
The Summer Capital of the Philippines.
• Traveling to Baguio City will take you about 35 minutes by
plane and 6 hours by bus both from Manila.
Cordillera Administrative Region
How to get there

4. • 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.
Cordillera Administrative Region
Area and Location

5. Cordillera Administrative Region
Geographical Profile
Province/City Land Area
(km²)
Density (per km²)
Abra 3,975.6 52.7
Apayao 3,927.9 24.7
Benguet 2,599.4 127.0
Ifugao 2,517.8 64.2
Kalinga 3,119.7 55.8
Mountain
Province
2,097.3 67.0

6. Cordillera Administrative Region
History
• The Cordillera Administrative Region was established on July 15,
1987 through Executive Order No. 220 issued by President Corazon
Aquino.
• It comprises the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao,
Kalinga, (new) Mountain Province and the chartered city of Baguio
• The provinces of Kalinga and Apayao are combined to form the
sub-province of Kalinga-Apayao.
• With the 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.
• The new Mountain Province was then called the sub-province
of Bontoc

7. Cordillera Administrative Region
Political Profile
Province City/Municipalities
Abra Bangued
Apayao Kabugao
Benguet La Trinidad
Ifugao Lagawe
Kalinga Tabuk
Mountain Province Bontoc

8. Abra
Capital: Bangued
“Bamboo Capital of the Philippines”

9. Abra
How to get there
The province of Abra can be reached from Manila
by bus. From Manila, Abra is roughly 8 hours by
bus. Partas, Dominion and Viron Bus have daily
trips to Bangued, Abra from Manila. The trip
through the mountains can be alarming and
spectacular, all part of your journey!

10. Abra
Geographical Profile, Area and Location
Municipalities 27
Barangays 303
Coastal/Landlocked Landlocked
Land Area 4,165.25 km
2
(1,608.21 sq mi)
Density 58 / km
2
(150 / sq mi)
Abra is bordered, clockwise from the North, by Ilocos Norte,
Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur.

11. Abra
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
The Tinggians is a group of
indigenous people based in
Nortwestern Luzon. They are also
called Itneg because they live
near the Tineg River. Other terms
used for their names are I-tineg,
Tinguian, Itinek, Tinguianes,
Mandaya and Tingian. They
reside in the provinces of Ilocos
Sur, Iloilo and greater
concentration in Abra.
Two Main Groups of Tinggians
• The Valley Tinggians
• The Mountain Tinggians.

12. Abra
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Dialet Spoken:
Ilocano, Tinguian, Isneg, Tagalog
and English
Population (2015):
241,160
Religion:
Tinguians are Christians but they
have not totally put aside their
worship, beliefs and superstitions
centering around the "sasailo"
concept. They reconcile their
traditional faith with Christianity.
They believe in one supreme being
who creates and controls life. They
worship and ask intercession for
the religious observances that go
with various paraphernalia,
bamboo arches, Basi (drink
offerings), and musical instruments.
Protective necklaces are used by
children.

13. Abra
Products
Abra’s major crops are rice, corn, and
vegetables, root crops; commercial products
include coffee, tobacco, and coconut. Extensive
grassland and pasture areas are used for
livestock production.

14. Abra
Cuisine/Delicacy
Abuos – is a rare summer
delicacy made out of the eggs of
big red ants.
Paksiw na Palileng – agsimao is very rich in
natural resources including this river fish
called palileng. They grow in the clean
rivers of Tineg abundantly. This home-
cooked palileng dish was just an exotic
Tineg gastronomic experience.

15. Abra
Cuisine/Delicacy
Abal Abal – looks like a June beetle but its
darker. They are found in river banks of
Abra during first rains of May and June.
Cascaron – is made of sticky rice balls
smothered with freshly extracted
molasses.

16. Abra
Music, Dance and Art
Diwdiw-as – is a musical instruments of Tinguians in Abra.
It is a pan-pipe of five or seven pieces of bamboo reeds of
different lengths tied side by side.
Idudu – is a tribal dance, dance depicts a day of
family life in the Itneg or Tinguian tribe. It tells the
story of a father plowing the field as the mother
cares for her children. In time, the father and
mother exchange duties as the mother finishes
planting and other chores in the field, and the
father tends to the kids.

17. Abra
Tourist Attraction
Don Mariano
Marcos Bridge
Sibud-Sibud
Cave
Piwek Rock
Formation
Abel Loom Weaving
in La Paz
Kili Falls & Hot Spring

18. Apayao
Capital: Kabugao
"Cordillera's Last Frontier for Nature Richness."

19. Apayao
How to get there
The only way to get to Apayao Province by land
transport. From Manila to Apayao the duration of
travel by bus is 11 hours. There is no commercial
airport in Apayao Province.
The two ways of getting to Apayao by land is either
through Cagayan Province to the west or Mountain
Province which is also to the west of Apayao Province.

20. Apayao
Geographical Profile, Area and Location
Municipalities 7
Barangays 133
Coastal/Landlocked Landlocked
Land Area
4,413.35 km
2
(1,704.00 sq mi)
Density
27 / km
2
(70 / sq mi)
Apayao is bordered, clockwise from the Northeast, by
Cagayan, Kalinga, and Abra, Ilocos Norte.

21. Apayao
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
The Isneg people are one of the
oldest tribes in Philippines. The isneg
people have been called many other
names. The Spanish called them Los
Apayaos or Los Mandayas. They are also
known as the Isnag, Isned, Kalina’ and
Payao. The name Isneg means people who
have gone into the interior. They used to
live mostly along large rivers and on
hillsides. Now they also live in many cities,
mainly in Kalanasan

22. Apayao
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Dialect Spoken:
Ilocano, Isneg, Tagalog and English
Population (2015):
119,184
Religion:
Approximately 9% of the population are Christians. Apayao are
spirit-filled for they believe in spiritual powers of all sorts. The
Isnags’ spirituality is manifested in their belief that God, referred as
to Alawagan and other spirits all around, are factors in their
abundant environmental resources.

23. Apayao
Products
Apayao is devoted to agricultural production, particularly
food and industrial crops such as palay, corn, coffee, root
crops and vegetables.
Fruits produced include lanzones, citrus, bananas and
pineapples, durian, santol, rambutan, coconut and
mangosteen.
Rice production totaled 98,489 metric tons in 2011.

24. Apayao
Cuisine/Delicacy
Sinandila – is a sticky rice dessert staple on
the Isnag dining table. It's wrapped in
banana leaves and steamed, often served
with a generous drizzle of latik or coconut
curds.
Duck Pinikpikan – is a common soup dish
among the provinces in the Cordillera Region.
However, instead of using native chicken,
Apayao's version of Pinikpikan found its taste
with native ducks. It is much more tastier and
gives a much stronger soupy taste according
to the locals.

25. Apayao
Music, Dance and Art
• The Tallip is a victory dance for war and
headhunting.
• The Taddó is performed during thanksgiving
ceremonies and courtship.
Both involve a lot of feet stomping on a bamboo mat
called dalahda, to the rhythmic beating of a gansa
drum

26. Apayao
Tourist Attraction
Apayao
River
Lussok Crystal
Cave
Dupag Rock
Formation
Mt. Kilang
Banselan Cave

27. Benguet
Capital: La Trinidad
“Strawberry Capital of the Philippines”

28. Benguet
How to get there
You can either fly or go by road.
Flying time from Manila to Baguio City, is only 35
minutes so if time is short catch a plane.
The other option is to take an air conditioned bus
from Manila, it will take about 6 hours.

29. Benguet
Geographical Profile, Area and Location
Municipalities 13
Barangays 140
Coastal/Landlocked Landlocked
Land Area 2,769.08 km
2
(1,069.15 sq mi)
Density 160 / km2
(415 / sq mi)
Benguet is bordered, clockwise from the Northeast, by
Mountain Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya,
Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos Sur.

30. Benguet
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
The Ibaloi, also called Nabaloi or Inibaloy, are
among the indigenous people collectively known as
the Benguet people who occupy the Northern part of
Luzon. The name Ibaloi means "people who live in
houses.“ Benguet people believe in supreme beings
and spirits that guide their way of living as well as
their future.
Karao tribe lives in the municipality of Bokod,
Benguet. The Karaos observe the following social
institutions: the family, the abo-nan (a community
center), the amang (a sleeping quarter for boys, girls
and newlyweds), the cheng ngeg Ni baley
(foundation House), and the Chelos (rituals).

31. Benguet
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Dialect Spoken:
Kankana-ey, Ibaloi, Kalanguya,
Bontoc, Ilocano, Tagalog and
English
Population (2015):
444,224
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.

32. Benguet
Products
Agriculture, mining, and tourism are the major industries in
Benguet. Major crops produced which include potatoes,
Baguio beans, peas, strawberries, cabbage, broccoli,
cauliflower, lettuce, sayote and carrots are shipped
throughout the country. The province supplies flowers to the
different municipalities, including Baguio City, as well as to
Metro Manila, including other parts of Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao.

33. Benguet
Cuisine/Delicacy
Pinuneg – Cordillera’s version of sausage;
except that the contents and covering are
different. Pinuneg is a mixture of pig blood
and spices wrapped in a clean and empty
pig’s large intestines.
Watwat – is commonly described as a
slice/slices of boiled pork that is
distributed or shared as part of the meal
of an Igorot feast.

34. Benguet
Music, Dance and Art
Terektek – two terektek woodpeckers vie for the
attention of three females. One male woodpecker
rhythmically bang on a brass gong to represent a
good voice, while other swish about a colorful
blanket representing beautiful plumage.
Bendayan – a dance to celebrate the arrival of
successful headhunters, the Bendayan has taken
a new face. It is part of every Benguet festivity
with the circles slowly giving way to other
formations and interpretations.

35. Benguet
Tourist Attraction
Strawberry
Festival
Timbac Cave
The STOBOSA Hillside
Homes Artwork
The Flower Farms
of Bahong

36. Ifugao
Capital: Lagawe
“Land of the Eighth World Wonder”

37. Ifugao
How to get there
Ifugao Province is just under 350 kilometres from Manila.
You can catch a plane to the province of Nueva Viscaya, the
land portion of the trip then will only take about 45 minutes
to Ifugao Province.
Buses from Manila will take about 10 hours, the scenery is
nothing short of awesome.

38. Ifugao
Geographical Profile, Area and Location
Municipalities 11
Barangays 175
Coastal/Landlocked Landlocked
Land Area 2,628.21 km
2
(1,014.76 sq mi)
Density 77 / km
2
(200 / sq mi)
Ifugao is bordered, clockwise from the North, by Mountain
Province, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Benguet.

39. Ifugao
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Ifugao, group of wet-rice agriculturalists
occupying the mountainous area of northern
Luzon. The Ifugao live in small hamlets of 5 to
10 houses scattered among the rice terraces.
The Kalanguya are an indigenous people
group of the northern Philippines. The
Kalanguya people often fall “in-between the
cracks” of standard classifications of major
ethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines. The
Kalanguya appear on no travel guides for exotic
cultural experiences in the northern Philippines.
Kalanguya
Ifugao

40. Ifugao
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Dialect Spoken:
Ifugao, Tawili, Ayangan,
Kalanguya, Ilocano, Tagalog and
English
Population (2015):
202,802
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.

41. Ifugao
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Many Ifugao still believe the universe was divided into
five levels. At the top is: 1) the heavens which itself has four
"superimposed heavens." Beneath it is 2) Pugao, the known
land. Below is 3) the underworld and there is also 4) the
world upstream and 5) the world downstream. Each area
has a large number of spirits, each of which has a name and
belongs to one of 35 categories. Among them are ones
associated with hero ancestors, diseases, omens, messengers,
celestial bodies.

42. Ifugao
Products
The province is based in agriculture, hunting and forestry.
They raise rice, root crops, vegetables, coffee and cotton in
the rice terraces or in kaingins

43. Ifugao
Cuisine/Delicacy
Diket Rice Pudding – is a fat sticky rice,
light purple in color with a slight barley
flavor. This is excellent to use in salads,
puddings and all sweet dishes.
Inlagim – is a native chicken stew that
is used during rituals or celebrations in
Ifugao. It is a ginger and onion based
soup with chicken as the usual main
ingredient.

44. Ifugao
Music, Dance and Art
• Hudhud
Is consist of narrative chants traditionally performed by
Ifugao community. It is practiced during the rice sowing season,
at harvest time and at funeral wakes and rituals. The Hudhud
comprises more than 200 chants, each divided into 40 episodes.
A complete recitation may last 3 or 4 days.
The HUDHUD was also proclaimed by UNESCO as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity,
together with many others in the world.
It is also considered as one of the 2 Longest Epics in the
world. The other one is the Ramayana of India.

45. Ifugao
Music, Dance and Art
Uyaoy/Uyauy – the Ifugao are said to
be the “children of the earth.” This
Ifugao wedding festival dance is
accompanied by gongs and is
performed by the affluent to attain
the second level of the wealthy class.
Bulol – is an Ifugao anthropomorphic
carving that symbolizes an Ifugao rice
god or guardian spirits, simplified shape
of a human being, whether male or
female.

46. Ifugao
Tourist Attraction
Bangaan Rice T
erraces
Kiangan Shrine
Batad Amphitheater
Terraces
Mt. Napulawan
(Hungduan)
Tenogtog Falls

47. Kalinga
Capital: Tabuk
“White Water Rafting Capital of the North”

48. Kalinga
How to get there
You can fly from Manila to Tuguegarao, which is
the capital of Cagayan Province.
The flight and subsequent jeepney trip to Tabuk,
the capital of Kalinga will take a little over 1 ½
hours.
The other option is to bus it from Manila.

49. Kalinga
Geographical Profile, Area and Location
Municipalities 7
Barangays 152
Coastal/Landlocked Landlocked
Land Area 3,231.25 km
2
(1,247.59 sq mi)
Density 66 / km
2
(170 / sq mi)
Kalinga is bordered, clockwise from the North, by Apayao,
Cagayan, Isabela, Mountain Province, and Abra.

50. Kalinga
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
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. With her in her nineties,
time is running out for her to pass on the time-honored hand tapping
technique and tribal motifs to her 13-year-old 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.

51. Kalinga
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Dialect Spoken:
Basalangao, Tanudan,
Labuagan, Ilocano, Tagalog and
English
Population (2015):
212,680
Religion:
According to the 2000 census,
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.
Kalinga
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion

52. Kalinga
Products
Kalinga’s products include food products such
as coffee, fruit and rice wine, chilli paste, chilli
vinegar, local varieties of indigenous rice,
chips made from vegetables, and
handicracfts such as handwoven items
clothes and garments, bags, decorations,
among others.

53. Kalinga
Cuisine/Delicacy
Binungor/binongor, is an original very hot and
spicy, Kalinga exotic delicacy that has gained
popularity in our province and nearby areas
thanks to the booming tourism in Kalinga
Province.
Zinagan – is a version of Dinuguan: intestines
and other pork innards that are fried until the
whole thing becomes crispy enough just like
chicharon before being sauteed with garlic,
onions, ginger and pork blood; better served
with sinursur, pinaltit, and sagke

54. Kalinga
Music, Dance and Art
Paldong – is a traditional lip-valley flute of Kalinga
Tribes. It is made of bamboo. Its upper edge is cut
away obliquely from the backside, and then cut away
slightly from the frontside. The player's lower lip is
placed against the cut away surface.
Kolitong – a bamboo tube, closed at both end by a
node. In both nodes a star shaped opening is cut. Five
strings are cut loose from the skin, and lifted and tuned
with small pieces of wood. The tube is cracked and
slightly opened to improve resonance.

55. Kalinga
Music, Dance and Art
Tongali or Kalingga – is a node of bamboo with hole at
one end and open at the other. There are three holes
on top and one hole underneath. There are incised
designs on the body. It is played by putting the blowing
end on one nostril.
Banga – is a contemporary performance of
Kalinga of the Mountain Province. It illustrates the
languid grace of a tribe otherwise known as
fierce warriors.

56. Kalinga
Music, Dance and Art
Lumagen/Tachok – danced by the Kalinga maiden.
The dance imitates birds flying in the air. Music is
provided by gangsa, or gongs, which are usually in a
group of six or more.
Pagbabatok – is practiced by hand-
tapping the ink into the skin using a
thorn attached to one end of a stick.
The thorn used is usually from a lemon
plant and is called “Sait” in their dialect

57. Kalinga
Tourist Attraction
Tinglayan Rice
Terraces
Binasalan Falls
Sulfur Hill
Mt. Mating-oy
Buaya Caves

58. Mountain Province
Capital: Bontoc
“Weaver’s Paradise”

59. Mountain Province
How to get there
Getting to Bondoc in Mountain Province from Manila is a
long bus trip. Taking the bus from Manila Pasay to Baguio
and then taking the taxi from Baguio to Mountain Province,
which takes around 9h 44m.
The trip will take you through Baguio City and then
through the Halaema Mountain Highway to Bontoc.
Once in Bontoc only jeeps will take you the 4 hour trip to
Sagada.

60. Mountain Province
Geographical Profile, Area and Location
Municipalities 10
Barangays 144
Coastal/Landlocked Landlocked
Land Area 2,157.38 km
2
(832.97 sq mi)
Density 72 / km
2
(186 / sq mi)
Mountain Province is bordered, clockwise from the North, by
Kalinga, Isabela, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, and Abra.

61. Mountain Province
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Bontoc comes from the word buntuk, which
means mountains and refers to the people of
Mountain Province. The Bontoc tribes people
were animists who had refused conversion during
the Spanish times. Both men and women
traditionally covered their bodies with tattoos,
although the men were only allowed to after
having killed enemies in inter-tribal conflicts.
Women wear bright red hand-woven skirts, and
used distinctive pieces of snake skeleton as
hairpieces. Today, many of the Bontoc cultures
and traditions are rarely practiced and slowly
disappearing.

62. Mountain Province
People, Dialect Spoken, Population and Religion
Dialect Spoken:
Ilocano, Bontoc, Kankana-ey,
Tagalog and English
Population (2015):
154,590
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.

63. Mountain Province
Products
Mountain Province is a Weavers’ Paradise. Finely woven products
include the traditional tapis for women’s apparel and the traditional
wanes (G-string) for men. These products have designs of lizards,
diamonds, and eyes. Other woven products are bags, purses,
pouches, wallets, blazers, skirts, and wall decors. Weavers are found
all over the ten towns of Mountain Province especially in Bontoc,
Sagada, Besao, Sabangan, Sadanga, Barlig, Natonin, Paracelis,
Tadian, Bauko with different designs and highlighted colors.

64. Mountain Province
Cuisine/Delicacy
Etag – also known as “Igorot smoked
meat,” “smoked mountain ham” or
“smoked bacon” is salted pork, regarded as
part of the life of a Cordilleran from the
time of birth until death.
Heirloom – is a violet sticky rice
(locally known as Ominio) from the
Mountain Province.

65. Mountain Province
Music, Dance and Art
Ballangbang/Tallibeng – the most common of all
the dances, ballangbang requires the participation
of many to beat the gongs and many women
dancers. This originated from the western
municipalities of Mountain Province.
Takik – is a wedding dance identified with the Aplais of
western Mountain Province. There are six players to
complete the set, each producing a certain beating to
produce harmony. The striking of the solibao (ethnic
drum) is the guide of the players. The drummer squats
and strikes the solibao alternately with his left and right
hand.
Mountain Province
Music, Dance and Art

66. Mountain Province
Music, Dance and Art
Chagchaku – a song or chant to the dead, sung purely
vocal, spontaneously composed in a story telling prose
where words are led by one elder and being followed
into a chorus to the end of the sentence/song. This is
done during the waking nights/ days of the vigil. This is
to give respect to the dead and keep the time and
people awake during the vigil.

67. Mountain Province
Tourist Attraction
Hanging
Coffin
Lumiang Burial
Cave
Sumaguing
Cave
Bontoc Museum Maligcong Rice
Terraces