OUR HISTORY

The former Mountain Province comprised Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Kalinga, and Apayao. However, in June 1966, Republic Act No. 4695, known as the Division Law, disregarded historical, geographical, and national minority considerations and split the province into four separate entities: Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Kalinga-Apayao. Abra became a separate province affiliated with Ilocos Sur.

In 1972, Presidential Order No.1, part of the Regionalization Law, divided the country into 13 regions. Abra, Benguet, Mt. Province, and Baguio were incorporated into Region 1, while Ifugao-Apayao became part of Region 2. Attempts to establish a distinct Cordillera region were unsuccessful. By 1974, the spread of CPP-NPA

radicalization across the Cordilleras posed a significant challenge to the Philippine Government due to the enduring communist insurgency.

Movements advocating for local autonomy and administrative decentralization have been integral to Cordillera's history, dating back to the Spanish and American colonial periods. Projects like the Chico Dam and Celophil in the 1970s catalyzed a new sense of consciousness within the region.

In April 1985, Cordillera Bodong Day was proclaimed by the Traditional Cordillera Bodong Administration, while the Cordillera People’s Alliance designated it as Macli-ing Memorial Day. This honored all who perished defending the rights of Cordilleran people in the pursuit of self-determination. Macli-ing, a leader opposing the Chico Dams, was assassinated in an attempt to intimidate indigenous opposition under the cover of darkness.

In the late 1985, concurrent with the People Power Edsa Revolution, various organizations emerged in the Cordillera Territory to safeguard land and human rights and advocate for autonomy. Chairman Mailed G. Molina, a descendant of the Tingguian Tribe and Cordillera Tribal Warriors, especially from Abra, Kalinga-Apayao, and Mountain Province, parted ways with the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army, dissociating from all forms of communism. This led to the formation of the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA), positioning itself as the vanguard in the indigenous peoples' fight for rights. Mailed G. Molina invited Roman Catholic Priest Fr. Conrado Balweg to join the movement and head its

Political Arm, the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA), aiming for an Autonomous Region of Cordillera. The primary objectives of these organizations were to raise awareness, organize, and empower the Cordillera indigenous peoples in their struggle against national oppression and for self-determination.

The Cordillera people courageously defended their ancestral lands against the influence of Manila, which sought to control mining, logging, and harmful energy projects. They resisted the imposition of feudal practices on their territories and the exploitation perpetuated by politicians practicing bureaucratic capitalism. Under the governance of tribal grandchieftains, known as Pangats, they upheld customary laws and jurisdiction governing their ancestral domains, shielding them from the encroachment of lowland coastal populations. These actions aimed to preserve their cultural heritage and ensure the economic stability and sustainability of the highlander communities in the Cordillera Region. Protests served as a response to political misrepresentation and national oppression, driven by an underlying agenda to prevent the unification of indigenous peoples in the Cordillera. This resistance was particularly fervent during movements opposing projects like Chico and Celophil.

The Aquino Government extended support to the CPLA following extensive peace talks. On September 13, 1986, President Corazon Aquino engaged with representatives of the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA), led by Chairman Mailed G. Molina, and Fr. Conrado Balweg, to pursue peace. This culminated in the signing of a ceasefire agreement, famously known as the Mt. Data Peace Accord or Sipat. This landmark memorandum symbolized a collaborative partnership built on cooperation, trust, and mutual respect between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the CPLA, resulting in the sustained cessation of hostilities for the past 30 years.

In July 1987, President Corazon Aquino enacted Executive Order No. 220, establishing the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). This region encompassed the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao (which was still a single province at the time), Mountain Province, and the City of Baguio. Baguio City was designated as the regional government's seat. 

In September 1987, Administrative Order 36 was issued, directing the establishment of line departments in the newly-created region. In 1988, the Cordillera Regional Consultative Commission (CRCC) held its inaugural

session. This commission was tasked with assisting Congress in drafting an Organic Act to establish an autonomous region in the Cordillera. On January 30, 1990, there was a widespread rejection of the Organic Act (Republic Act 6766) proposed by the Congress of the Philippines. Only the province of Ifugao

ratified the Organic Act.

In December 1990, the Supreme Court ruled that Ifugao could not establish CAR, and Executive Order 220 remained in force until properly repealed or amended. In December 1995, the Cordillera Leaders Forum formally launched extensive autonomy consultations in CAR. In March 1998, a plebiscite was held for the ratification of the second Organic Act (RA 8438) aimed at creating an autonomous region in CAR. However, it was rejected, with only the province of Apayao ratifying it.

During the presidency of Benigno Simeon Aquino III, the Philippine Government engaged with the CPLA and its political arm, the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA), to finalize a more than 30-year-old ceasefire agreement. Despite previous efforts, this agreement did not bring an end to the CPLA's existence as an armed group. After eight months of negotiations and consultations with various stakeholders, the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the State Republic of The Philippines and the Cordillera Nation CBA-CPLA was officially signed on July 4, 2011, in Malacañang, with President Benigno Aquino III as a witness. 

Implementation was overseen by a Joint Committee (JC) composed of representatives from the Office of the President Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government (CCAGG), CBA, and the CPLA. However, it's important to address historical revisionism. Some former members of CBA-CPLA misrepresented the Closure Agreement to create factions discrediting the legitimate aspirations of the Cordillera People for autonomy. Despite this, the Pagta of CBA-CPLA, by virtue of EO 220, has never been closed or abolished. It remains valid, creating the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) as equivalent to an ad hoc or Transition Committee, in line with the State's granted autonomy and the guaranteed autonomy outlined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

In 2019, by virtue of ILO 169, ICCPR, RA 6735, EO.220, and in compliance with PAGTA of CBA-CPLA, the Cordilleran People exercised their sovereignty and constitutional right to ethnic nation autonomy within the State Republic of the Philippines through direct democracy. The PEOPLE OF CORDILLERA NATION ratified ILO 169 as an Indigenous Peoples Economic Initiative, aligning with the State and Local Government Units, fostering amity with all nations and the Filipino People. This period of struggle and organization led to increased coordination and concerted efforts towards defining the substance and features of self determination and self-governance for the indigenous people.

We, the People of the Cordillera, proud of our culture rooted in spirituality, are committed to building an autonomous nation with a unified, enlightened, and empowered citizenry. We shall pursue sustainable development where responsibilities and benefits are equitably shared by all.