CORDI 101

• Identity formations in the Cordillera and its Indigenous Peoples label are largely the result of the region’s colonial experience
• Original inhabitants in the Cordillera are a result of migrations for varied reasons and in different times before and after Spanish arrival
• Mining activities explain the movement to Lepanto area and Itogon in pre-Spanish times
• Highlander territories extended to the lowlands of today’s Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Isabela, Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos at the time of Spanish arrival
• Spanish colonial interests in the Cordillera included gold, proselytization campaigns, extension of conquered territories, and punitive expeditions
• Igorot responses to Spanish colonization included retreat into deeper parts of the mountain, resulting in population dispersions and muddled ethnic distinctions
• During the Spanish rule, there were scattered classifications of ethnic groupings, with around 13 tribes found within the Cordillera region
• American pacification campaign in the Cordillera combined military and civil approaches, with resistance expressed in various areas
• Trail and road building accompanied military expeditions in the Cordillera
• American ethnology reinforced earlier highland identities and modified others, with the term "Igorot" already associated with negative meanings
• Under US rule, Igorots were assigned tags such as “Non-Christians”, “Tribes”, “headhunters”, “savages”, and “wild”
• American administrative organization added to the layers of identity making in the Cordillera, with the creation of Mountain Province and sub-provinces following tribal organization
• By the 1930s, there was a growing aversion from Igorots themselves to the term "Igorot", with some preferring the term "mountaineer" or "native"
• In 1936, the Commonwealth government abolished the BNCT, removing the last vestige of government special protection of the non-Christians
• During the 2nd World War and Japanese rule, the first Igorot appointed as Governor of Mountain Province was Dr. Hilary Pitapit Clapp from Bontoc
• The term "Cultural Minorities" was introduced as an official state label for what used to be Non-Christians, transitioning these groups to become part of the mainstream Filipino population
• In 1958, Congressman Louis Hora filed a bill in congress prohibiting the use of "Igorot" in printed materials, supporting the use of "highlander" instead
• In 1966, Mountain Province was subdivided into 4 new provinces: Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao, and a new Mountain Province covering the Bontoc territory
• Under PD No. 1 of 1972, Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao were placed under Region II while Benguet and Mountain Province were placed under Region I
• In the 1970s-1983, opposition arose against the Chico River dam project and logging activities, leading to the New People's Army siding with affected communities
• In 1983-1987, the Cordillera autonomy drive led to the establishment of Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) under Executive Order No. 220 in 1987
• IPRA also created the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP) to oversee the affairs of Indigenous Peoples
• The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 granted collective and individual rights to indigenous people through the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) and Certificate of Ancestral Land Title (CALT)
• Despite various ethnic groups asserting their separate identities, people of the region are generally identified as Igorot, with Cordilleran occasionally used in the campaign for autonomy
• Mining activities explain the movement to Lepanto area and Itogon in pre-Spanish times
• Highlander territories extended to the lowlands of Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Isabela, Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos at the time of Spanish arrival
• American ethnology reinforced negative meanings associated with the Igorot identity, such as backwardness, savagery, and paganism
• American officials categorized the Cordillera groups into Igorots, Tingguians, and Negritos, with some linguistic differences recognized among the Igorots
• Mountain Province was perceived as the home of non-Christian tribes who were considered less civilized
• American political organization reflected earlier Spanish Commandancia-Politico-Militares in the Cordillera
• The Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes (BNCT) was an administrative office in charge of all non-Christians in the Cordillera region
• The Commonwealth government abolished the BNCT in 1936, removing the last vestige of government special protection of the non-Christian s
• During the 2nd World War and Japanese rule, the first Igorot was appointed as Governor of Mountain Province
• Dr. Hilary Pitapit Clapp from Bontoc was designated as Governor during the Japanese rule, but disappeared and was presumed killed by guerilla members
• The 2nd World War brought an end to American colonial rule in the Philippines
• A new term, "Cultural Minorities", was introduced as an official state label for what used to be Non-Christians
• The Commission for National Integration (CNI) was created to transition cultural minorities to become part of the mainstream Filipino population
• Highlanders faced discrimination under the integration framework as they had to compete on an equal footing without special treatment they received under American rule
• Mountain Province was subdivided into 4 new provinces in 1966: Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao, and a new Mountain Province covering the Bontoc territory
• Under PD No. 1 of 1972, Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao were placed under Region II while Benguet and Mountain Province were under Region I