Cordillera Administrative Region
Highland indigenous region where Igorot cultural traditions, Banaue Rice Terraces, and Baguio's universities define unique administrative territory.
The Cordillera Administrative Region occupies Luzon's mountainous spine—the highland territory where indigenous Igorot peoples maintain cultural traditions distinct from lowland Filipino society. Baguio City serves as summer capital and regional center, its cool climate attracting visitors escaping lowland heat while its universities train professionals who often migrate elsewhere.
The region's distinctive status reflects indigenous identity assertions. Unlike other Philippine regions, CAR operates under special administrative arrangements recognizing highland communities' distinct character. Mining operations in the mountains have generated both revenue and conflict, with indigenous communities asserting rights over mineral resources in ancestral domains.
Vegetable production exploits the cool climate that lowland Philippines cannot match. Crops including potatoes, cabbage, and flowers grow in terraced fields that Ifugao farmers created centuries ago. The Banaue Rice Terraces—sometimes called the eighth wonder of the world—attract heritage tourism while demonstrating agricultural engineering that predated colonial contact.
Baguio's role as educational center creates paradox: universities train skilled workers who then migrate to Metro Manila or overseas, generating brain drain that depletes the region of talent it developed. By 2026, expect continued indigenous rights assertions, vegetable agriculture maintaining highland niche, and Baguio's university sector serving national rather than regional labor markets.