Cordillera marks 35th year as a region

July 14, 2022 JUST IN

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared Friday,  July 15, 2022, as a Special Non-working Holiday in the whole Cordillera region in celebration of its 35th founding anniversary as a special administrative region.
Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez in issuing Proclamation No. 4 in behalf of Pres. Marcos Jr. stated, “it is but fitting and proper that the people of the CAR be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies, subject to public health measures of the National Government.”
The highland region, the homeland of indigenous peoples (IPs) mostly identified as “Igorots”, established on July 15, 1987, was a result of the struggle of the people of the Cordillera in asserting their rights to their ancestral land and identity.
CAR is composed of six provinces and two cities.  These are the provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Abra and Ifugao.   The two cities are Baguio City, a chartered city and actually located inside Benguet and Tabuk City in Kalinga province.
For 35 years, the people of the Cordillera are yet to attain regional autonomy as an exercise of the right to  self determination.

Artemio A. Dumlao