The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
Philippines' only land-locked region, consists of the provinces of Abra, Benguest, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Apayao.
This region is home to numerous indigenous tribes collectively called the Igorot.
FEATURED DESTINATIONS: BAGUIO and BANAWE
A mountainous topography of towering peaks, plateaus, and intermittent
patches of valleys, the Cordillera mountain range has a history as vast
and as beautiful as its mountainous curves. Populated by the Ifugaos, a
gentle yet fiercely proud ethnic community, the Cordillera enjoys
abundant mineral reserves. Metallic ores such as gold, silver, copper,
zinc, and non-metalic reserves are found in Abra, Benguet, Kalinga
Apayao, and Mountain Province.
Dubbed as the Watershed Cradle of the Philippines, the
Cordillera Administrative Region was carved out of the predominantly
Ilocano regions of Ilocos and Cagayan. Located in the north central
part of Luzon, the region is composed of the six provinces of Abra,
Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province, and the chartered
city of Baguio. The Cordillera consists of 76 municipalities and 1,172
barangays. Total land area of 18,294 square meters account for seven
percent of the total land mass of the Philippines.
The people in the region enjoy a cool climate throughout the year,
particularly in highly elevated places like Benguet, Mt. Province, and
Baguio City. General climate, though, is the dry season from November
to April and the rainy season for the rest of the year.
Summer Capital
In the summer months of March, April, and May, Baguio lives up to its
title as the "Summer Capital of the Philippinesî when thousands of
local and foreign visitors take their annual exodus to the city to cool
off. From November to May, Baguio becomes a tropical paradise, a
refreshing break from the hot and humid Philippine Climate. Christmas
Season is when Baguio denizens enjoy the nippy winter air.
Rice Terraces
Ifugao is home to a thriving ancient culture and host
to the famous rice terraces. Carved from the base of
the mountainsides to the top, the rice terraces seem
to be a massive green stairway reaching to the sky.
The rice terraces were formed by the Ifugao tribespeople
using primitive implements over a period of 2,000 years.
The famous terraces had been inscribed in UNESCO's World
Heritage List in 1995 as a "continuing cultural landscapeî
and likewise considered by the U.S. Association of Civil
Engineers as an engineering marvel built by unschooled
and free men not of slave labor.
Weaver's Paradise
Mountain Province is known as the "Weaver's Paradiseî with the presence
of various weaving centers and different weave designs that reveal the
province's cultural heritage.
http://www.philippinetourism.us/destination/dest_baguio.htm
