Cordillera Identity and Political Development

Political Affiliation and Cordillera Identity

  • Political affiliation forms the fourth layer of Cordillera identity, stemming from the creation and division of Mountain Province by the American colonial regime.
  • In 1908, the Philippine Commission established Mountain Province with seven sub-provinces, each managed by a lieutenant governor under the overall provincial governor.
  • Boundary realignments in 1920 led to cultural identity adjustments as some areas were integrated into lowland provinces, affecting cultural connections.
  • The Jones Law of 1916 allowed for Filipino representation in government, with Mountain Province having special representation in both the senate and lower house.
  • The Bureau of non-Christian Tribes (BNCT) was revived as an administrative office under the Philippine legislature, placing Mountain Province under Filipino supervision.
  • Despite ethnological clarifications, the term "Igorot" persisted with negative connotations, leading to discrimination against Cordillera people.
  • By the 1930s, Igorots preferred the term "mountaineer," and organizations like BIBKA favored "native" over "Igorot."
  • In 1958, a bill to prohibit the use of "Igorot" failed, but highlander students formed BIBAK to unify and express their culture.
  • In 1966, Mountain Province was divided into Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao, and a new Mountain Province, aiming to bring administration closer to the people.
  • During Martial Law (1972), Provinces were grouped into regions. Mountain Province and Benguet under Region 1; Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao under Region 2.
  • Scholarly ethnic classifications evolved, with Robert Fox and Elizabeth Flory identifying 12 groups in 1974, and the term "Igorot" disappeared from official censuses.

Resource Exploitation and Regional Identity Revival

  • The Cordillera's partitioning aligned with the government's strategy to treat the region as a resource area for Ilocos and Cagayan Valley.
  • The Cordillera is rich in natural resources, including forests, minerals (gold, silver, copper), and potential uranium and oil deposits.
  • In 1995, RA 7878 separated Kalinga and Apayao into distinct provinces.
  • Development aggression, particularly projects violating Indigenous Peoples' rights, unified ethnolinguistic groups, leading to a movement for regional identity.
  • The National Power Corporation's (NPC) planned dam along the Chico River (1973) faced opposition from affected communities.
  • PANAMIN attempted to quell opposition, but communities resisted, leading to militarization and support from the New People’s Army (NPA).
  • Opposition to the Chico dam and Cellophil Resources Corporation (CRC) logging operations utilized the traditional Vochong or peace pact system.
  • The term "Igorot" was strategically used to evoke the image of resistance and warrior spirit, reviving historical resistance to Spanish colonialism.
  • The assassination of opposition leader Macliing Dulag in 1980 widened support for halting the projects.
  • Experiences with these projects highlighted the treatment of minority territories as resource bases without proper consultation.
  • Activists, later led by the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), pushed for an autonomous Cordillera, reinforced by groups like the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA).
  • The term "Cordillera" was adopted to group people of the old Mountain Province and Abra, representing parallel mountains in northern Luzon.
  • "Cordillera" and "Cordilleran" emerged as inclusive labels, favored for their neutral meaning and inclusivity.
  • Regional autonomy aspirations were included in the Philippine Constitution (Section 4 of Article X).
  • Executive Order No. 220 established the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) on July 15, 1987 (Cordillera Day).
  • Post-colonial generations reinvented "Igorot" as a badge of pride, while "Cordillera" and "Cordilleran" became inclusive terms for all region members.