Northern and Central

Luzon: Its Physical &

Cultural Characteristics

Cordillera Administrative Region

Bordered by the Ilocos Region in the west and southwest, and by the Cagayan Valley on the north, east, and southeast.

Region’s name originate from the Spanish term meaning a chain of mountain.

La Montanosa, the original name of the region

Provinces and It’s Capital

Kabugao

BanguedTabuk City

Bontoc

LagaweLa Trinidad

Cities:2

Tabuk CityBaguio CityRegional

Center

Municipalities: 75

Barangays:1, 176

Land Area: 18, 406.6 sq. km.

Population

1, 776, 093 (2012)

The least populous region in the Philippines

Languages

The Cordillera region is the most diversified ethno-linguistic region in the Philippines with its major languages having sub-dialect variations.

Ilokano KankanaeyItneg KalanguyaIsneg TagalogIbaloi KalingaIfugao

ReligionRoman Catholics 65.75%

Evangelicals 8.85%

United Church of Christ in the Philippines 2.86%

Other religious affiliations 22.31%

Type A. Two pronounced seasons: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.

Type B. No dry season with a pronounced rainfall from November to January.

Climate

Type C. Seasons are not very pronounced, relatively dry from November to April, and wet during the rest of the year.

Type D. Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.

1. Agriculture Benguet, as the

“Salad Bowl of the Philippines” is the leading producer of Baguio beans, lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, and variety of cut flowers.

Major Industries

2. Mining Benguet is top gold

producer of the Philippines.

There are 4 large mining facilities operating in the province: Philex, Benguet, Itogon & Lepanto

Other income-generating industries includes:

Food ProcessingFloricultureCloth WeavingHuntingForestryPoultry RaisingLivestock ProductionTourism

Mineral Resources:GoldSilverCopperPyriteLimestoneClayGuanoRock Phosphate

Ethnic GroupsEthnic

Groups

The collective name of several Austronesian ethnic groups who inhabited the mountains of Luzon.

Highland people/ Mountain people

Etymology: Derived from the archaic Tagalog term i-"dweller of" and golot, "mountain range"

Igorot, or Cordillerans

Speaks the Bontoc languagePracticed head-hunting

Bontocs (Mountain Province)

Bontocs perform a circular rhythmic dance acting out certain aspects of the hunt, always accompanied by the gang′-sa or bronze gong. It was a serious but pleasurable event for all concerned.

Had distinctive body tattoos-chak-lag′, the tattooed chest of the head taker; pong′-o, the tattooed arms of men and women; and fa′-tĕk, for all other tattoos of both sexes.

Ibaloi and Kalanguya (Benguet)

They were traditionally an agrarian society.

Both language belong to the Malayo-Polynesian family and is closely related to the Pangasinan language.

The largest feast of the Ibaloi is the Pesshet, a public feast mainly sponsored by people of prestige and wealth. Pesshet can last for weeks and involves the killing and sacrifice of dozens of animals.

One of the more popular dances of the Ibaloi is the Bendian Dance, participated in by hundreds of male and female dancers.

Ifugao/ Amganad/ Kiangan

Etymology: Derived from ipugo – “earth people”, “mortals”, as distinguished from spirits and deities. It also means "from the hill", as pugo means hill.

The Ifugaos build their typical houses at the edge of their fields.

As distinctive aspect of these house post just below the floor beams to keep rats from climbing into the house.

The Ifugaos’ highest prestige feasts are the hagabi, for the elite; and the uyauy, a feast for those immediately below the wealthiest.

Isnag (Apayao)Etymology: Derives from

a combination of is meaning “recede” and unag meaning “interior.” Thus, it means “people who live inland.”

Described as of slender and graceful stature, kind, hospitable, and generous, has self-reliance and courage.

Isneg composed of the sub-groups known as the Ymandaya and Imallod.

Speaks the Isneg language.

The Tinguian are found in Abra and has extended as far as Ilocos Sur.

They are distinct from the Igorot tribe, although intermarriage between the two groups has become common.

The Itneg are classified as a "pagan" tribe.

Tinguian/ Itneg

The men are famous for their large hats and for their use of blowguns (made from bamboo) in hunting deer, pigs, birds and wild carabao. They've also subsisted on chickens and fish.

Kalinga/ Limos-Liwan Kalinga

Division: Southern and Northern groups

Considered the most heavily-ornamented people

Practices both wet and dry rice farming.

Developed an institution of peace pacts, Bodong which has minimised traditional warfare and headhunting

Kalinga society is very kinship-oriented

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------* Disputes are usually settled by the regional leaders, who listen to all sides and then impose fines on the guilty party.

Kankanaey built sloping terraces.

Kankanaey (Mountainn

Province/ Benguet)

* To maximize farm space in the rugged terrain of the Cordilleras.

* Two famous institutions of the Kankanaey are the men's dormitory (dap-ay) and the girls' dormitory (ebgan)

Kankanaey houses are built like the other Igorot houses.

Kankanaey's major dances include :

o Tayaw - community dance that is usually done in weddings

o Pattingo Takik (a wedding dance), and o Pattong/ Balangbango Sakkuting,o Pinanyuan - another wedding danceo Bogi-bogi - courtship dance

Region 1 / Ilocos Region

Located in the northwest of Luzon, bordering to the Cordilleran Region and Cagayan Valley and to the south the region of Central Luzon. To the northwest is the South China Sea.

Provinces and It’s Capital

Laoag

San Fernando

Vigan

Lingayen

Cities:9

Laoag

Batac

Urdaneta

Dagupan

San Carlos

Vigan

Candon

San Fernando

Alaminos

Municipalities: 116

Barangays:3, 265

Land Area: 12, 840.2 sq. km.

Population

5, 283, 469 (2012) 7th most populated

region in the Philippines

Pangasinan, 3rd most populated province in the country

Major Dialects

Ilocano speakers compose 66% of the region, Pangasinan speakers are 27%, and Tagalog compose 3%.

Religion

Majority of the population is Roman Catholic.

Other religions present in the region are Aglipayan, Iglesia ni Cristo and Mormons.

Climate

Type A. Two pronounced seasons: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.

Type C. Seasons are not very pronounced, relatively dry from November to April, and wet during the rest of the year.

Major Industries

The major industries in the region include:

Crop production FishingMining ManufacturingTourism

The Ilocos Region is a prime agricultural land. Tobacco and mangoes are the major export products

Agro-industrial businesses, like milkfish (bangus) cultivation and processing

Livestock raising such as pigs, chicken, goats and carabaos (water buffalos)

Mineral Resources

Limestone for cementFeldspar for ceramics CopperGoldChromiteIronManganeseSilica

Transportation & Communication

The Ilocos Region is a well developed region. It has access to electricity and telecommunications. It has an international airport which caters international flights from Hongkong, Guangzhou and Taiwan as well as domestic flights.

Ethnic

Groups

Ilokano

Etymology: i – “FROM” and looc– “BAY” ;

Samtoy- "saomi ditoy

o Settlement: Ilocandia/ Ilocos

Regiono Language: Ilokoo Food: Bagoong,

Pinakbet, Abuos,Jumping Salad

o Literature: Biag ni Lam-ang

PangasinenseThe ninth largest

Filipino ethnic group Etymology: "land of

salt" or "place of salt-making"; it is derived from asin, the word for "salt" in the Pangasinan language.

Region 2 / Cagayan Valley

Bounded to the west by the Cordilleran Range, to the east by the Sierra Madre and to the north by the Luzon Strait

Provinces and It’s Capital

Basco

Ilagan

Cabarroguis

Tuguegarao

Bayombong

Cities: 4

Tuguegarao

Ilagan

Cauayan

Santiago

Municipalities:90

Barangays:2, 311

Land Area: 26, 837.7 sq. km.

Population

3, 395, 526 (2012) 14th most

populated region in the Philippines

Languages

Languages in the province are Ybanag, Ytawit, Malaweg, and Ilocano.

Other ethnic groups that migrated to the province speak their own dialects.

People in places where literacy is high speak and understand English and Pilipino.

ReligionRoman Catholics 76.15 %

Evangelicals 4.24 %

Aglipayans 3.66 %

Other religious affiliations 15.65 %

Climate

Type A. Two pronounced seasons: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.

Type B. No dry season with a pronounced rainfall from November to January.

Type C. Seasons are not very pronounced, relatively dry from November to April, and wet during the rest of the year.

Type D. Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.

Major Industries

Industries in the region includes:

AgricultureFishing ForestryTourism

Cagayan Valley contributed 1.80% to the country's Gross Domestic Product. GRDP grew by 6.61%. Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing sector accounted for 38.38% of the regional economy. It posted an increase of 0.10%.

-(Country STAT Philippines, 2013)

Tilapia production grew and Cagayan Valley is now the Philippines’ tilapia capital. The recent aquaculture congress found that the growth of tilapia production was due to government interventions.

-(BFAR, 2008)

SM Prime opened its first SM Supermall in the region, the SM City Cauayan.

Robinsons Land opened their first mall in the region in Santiago City and in Cauayan City.

THUS, …Isabela was the Top 10 Richest Province in the Philippines in 2011, being the only province of Northern Luzon to be included in the list.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

o Isabela – P1,296,002,000. Sources of income

include tax revenue, internal revenue allotment and

general accounts.

Mineral Resources The Cagayan Valley is endowed with rich mineral

resources that has generally remained untapped.Iron CoalClay Natural GasPebbles, BasaltManganese Sulfur DioritePerlite SilicaCopper NickelGypsum GemstoneSand and Gravel ChertLimestone GoldGuano LeadSilver

Ethnic

Groups

Ibanags / Ybanag / Ibanak

Etymology: I-which means “THE" and Bannag-meaning “RIVER”.

Settlement: Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya.

Language: Ibanaglanguage

Gaddang

Etymology: Gameaning “HEAT“; dang meaning “BURNED”

Division: Christianized Highlanders

Settlements: (Kalinga, Apayao, Isabela, Cagayan)

Leadership: Bravery, skills, knowledge of customary law, and wealth.

A Great Warrior

Peace pacts (pudon) are practiced as kolak trading partnerships.

Religion: Dichotomy betwenearth world and afterworld.

Rituals are led by both male and female. The male prestige feast occurs once in a lifetime; wealth must be accumulated beforehand to finance the seven elaborate rituals.

Ivatanso Settlement: Bataneso Physical Attributes: “short,

squat people; hazel eyes;low foreheads; thick eyebrows; short low noses; white teeth; black thick hair; and very dark, copper-colored skin.“ Strong mixture of short type of Mongols and Ainus of Japan”(William Dampier, 1687)

Region 3 / Central LuzonBordering it are the

regions of Ilocos, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley to the north; NCR and CALABARZON to the south; South China Sea to the west; and the Philippine Sea to the east

Provinces and Its Capital

Baler

Palayan

Malolos

Tarlac

Iba

Balanga

San Fernando

Balanga

San Jose del Monte

Malolos Meycuayan

San Jose

Palayan

Cabanatuan

Gapan

Munoz

Tarlac

AngelesSan Fernando

Olongapo

Mabalacat

Cities:14

10, 251, 698 (2012) 3rd most populated region in the

Philippines Bulacan, 4th most populated

province Pampanga, 9th most populated

province Nueva Ecija, 14th most

populated province

Population

Municipalities:117

Barangays:3, 102

Land Area: 22, 014 sq. km.

Languages

The Central Luzon languages are:

Kapampangan Sambalic languages Sinauna/ DumagatTagalogIlokano

Religion

Roman Catholics 86.09 %

Iglesia ni Cristo 4.39 %

Aglipayan 1.94 %

Other religious affiliations 7.25%

Climate

Type A. Two pronounced seasons: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.

Type C. Seasons are not very pronounced, relatively dry from November to April, and wet during the rest of the year.

Type D. Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.

Major Industries

Major industries include:AgricultureIndustrialFishingMiningTourism

Region’s total land area is devoted to agricultural purposes with rice as the major crop. It produces one third of the country’s rice supply.

o Other crops of the region are corn, banana, fruits and vegetables.

The region contains the largest plain in the country. It is known as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines” because it produces most of the country’s rice supply.

It has rich marine resources and accounts for the third largest aquaculture production in the Philippines.

Central Luzon is a major trading center of the country. The two former U.S. bases, the Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga and Subic Naval Base in Zambales, are now special economic zones.

Export Winners:

ElectronicsGarments and TextilesFootwearGift, Toys and HousewareFurnitureFresh and Processed Foods/BeveragesCeramicsFashion AccessoriesLeathergoods

The region has emerged as an alternative area for investment. The region has managed to overcome the effects of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 and is now considered as one of the highly developed regions of the Philippines.

Mineral Resources

Central Luzon is rich in timber and mineral resources. Both metallic and non metallic resources are found in the region like:

CopperChromites GoldMarble

Central Luzon is the only region in the Philippines that is accessible through three international airports.

Transportation

The Three International Airports

Ethnic

Groups

Kapampangans

Sixth largest ethnic group

Etymology: Pampang which means “RIVER BANK”

Settlements: Pampanga

As an Austronesian people, many Pampangans also have Chinese and Japanese ancestry. There are also trace evidence of intermarriages with other Philippine ethnic groups.

Sambals

Etymology: Malay word sembah-“to worship”

Settlement: Zambales

Speaks Sambalic languages, most closely related to Kapampagan

Traditional dress, consists of a single-shoulder short-sleeved shirt, paired with short trousers. Usually worn at the chest and shoulder areas of the shirt are badges.

The culture and customs of the Sambal are different from that of other groups.

Punishment- to bore a hole at the top of the skull and then scrape out the brains.

The Sambal were known to be fierce warriors, notorious for their bloody raids on Christian settlements.

Land & River

Systems

Major Lowland Plains

oCagayan Valley

o Central Luzon Plain

- Widest plain

and considered the

“Rice Granary of the

Country”

Mountain Ranges

Highest elevation: Mount Anacuao (Aurora) 6,069 ft. (1,850 m)

Mount Cetaceo (Cagayan)

Mount Guiwan (Nueva Vizcaya) 6,283 ft. (1,915 m)

o Sierra Madre – Known as the Pacific Coast

Range; the longest continuous mountain

range in the country

o Caraballo

Mountain

Range

- Located

between

Cordillera

Central

and Sierra

Madre

Highest Point: Cagua Volcano (1,133 m)

A stratovolcano located in

Cagayan; one of the active

volcanoes and has erupted twice.

Its last eruption was in 1907.

o Cordillera

Central

- Known as

the Gran

Cordillera

Range;

Highest

mountain

range

Highest Point: Mt. Pulag (2, 922 m)

3rd highest mountain in the

Philippines

o Zambales Range

Highest elevation: Mount Tapulao,

also known as High Peak 2,037 m

(6,683 ft.)

Active Volcanoes

o Babuyan Claro/

Mount

Pangasun(Cagayan)

- 1, 080 m

o Cagua (Cagayan)

1, 133 m

o Camuguin de

Babuyanes

(Cagayan)

712 m

oDidicas (Cagayan)

244 m

o Iraya (Bataan)

1, 009 m

o Pinatubo – 1, 486 m

oSmith ( Cagayan)

688 m

Highest Peaks

oMt. Pulag

oMt. Tabayoc

- 2, 842 m

oMt.

Singakalsa

- 2717 m

oMt. Amuyao

-2702 m

oMount Kapiligan (Ifugao)

- 2,709 m

RiversoCagayan

River

oPampanga

River

oAgno

River

oAbra

River

River BasinsThe country is an archipelago endowed

with 421 principal river basins. Of these,

18 are considered major river basins

with a drainage area greater than 1, 400

sq. km. 5 of it are found in Northern and

Central Luzon.

o Abra River

o Abulog River

o Agno River

o Cagayan River

o Pampanga River

Lakeso Paoay

Lake

(Ilocos

Norte)

o Pantabangan

Lake (Nueva

Ecija)

oLooc Lake

(Zambales)

Other Lakes:o Loloog Lake (Pangasinan)o Pacao Lake (Pangasinan)o Cabalangan Lake (Cagayan)o Paltan Lake (Nueva Ecija)o Camaring Lake (Tarlac)o Ladinoan Lake (Tarlac)

WaterfallsoCamaya

Falls

(Bataan)

oKaytitinga

Falls

(Bulacan)