Geographical Settings and Brief History
The only landlocked region in the country, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is bordered by the Ilocos Region in the west and southwest, and by the Cagayan Valley on the north, east, and southeast.
The region is composed of six provinces, namely: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province. The regional center is the highly urbanized city of Baguio.
The region, officially created on July 15, 1987, covers most of the Cordillera Central mountains of Luzon, and is home to numerous indigenous peoples collectively known as the Igorot.
During the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, Christianization and eventual subjugation of the mountain region proved difficult for the Spanish colonial government. Several comandancias were established by the Spanish colonial government in strategic areas of the mountain region. Among them were Amburayan, Cabugaoan, Kayapa, Quiangan, Itaves, Apayaos, Lepanto, Benguet, Bontoc, Banaue, and Tiagan.
On August 18, 1908 during the American regime, Mountain Province was established by the Philippine Commission with the enactment of Act No. 1876. Ifugao, which was part of Nueva Vizcaya province, and the former Spanish comandancias of Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet, Bontoc, Kalingaand Lepanto, were annexed to the newly created province as sub-provinces. Amburayan was later abolished in 1920 and its corresponding territories were transferred to the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union. Lepanto was also reduced in size and its towns were integrated into the sub-provinces of Bontoc and Benguet, and to the province of Ilocos Sur.
On June 18, 1966, Republic Act No. 4695 was enacted to split Mountain Province and create four separate and independent provinces namely Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao, and Mountain Province. Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao were placed under the jurisdiction of the Cagayan Valley region, with Benguet and Mountain Province placed under the Ilocos Region.
On July 15, 1987, President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order 220 which created the Cordillera Administrative Region. The provinces ofAbra, Benguet and Mountain Province (of the Ilocos Region), and Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao (of the Cagayan Valley) were annexed as part of the newly created region.
On February 14, 1995, Kalinga-Apayao, one of the five provinces of the region was split into two separate and independent provinces of Apayao and Kalinga with the enactment of Republic Act No. 7878.[16][17]
Several attempts at legalizing autonomy in the Cordillera region have failed in two separate plebiscites. An affirmative vote for the law on regional autonomy is a precondition by the 1987 Philippine Constitution to give the region autonomy in self-governance much like the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao in southern Philippines. The first law Republic Act No. 6766, took effect on October 23, 1989 but failed to muster a majority vote in the plebiscite on January 30, 1990. The second law, Republic Act No. 8438 passed by Congress of the Philippines on December 22, 1997, also failed to pass the approval of the Cordillera peoples in a region-wide referendum on March 7, 1998.
At present, a third organic act of the Cordillera is in the offing supported by the Cordillera Regional Development Council. //wikipedia
DECS-CAR Establishment
On September 23, 1987, Administrative Order No. 36 was issued directing the various departments and agencies of the national government to establish their respective regional offices at Baguio City. This Administrative Order formally established the DECS-CAR Regional Office on April 1, 1988 at Quirino Hall, Teachers’ Camp, Baguio City. Mr. Pedro Indunan became the first Regional Director with Stephen N. Capuyan, Ph.D. as the Assistant Regional Director. Director Indunan served as Director from April 1, 1988 until his retirement on July 17, 1990. Director Capuyan served as Director IV until January 14, 1996 when he was assigned in Region III. Tomas A. Ratum, Ph.D., was the Director from January 16, 1996 to June 13, 2001. After which, Director George R. Garma took over until Director Remedios K. Taguba was transferred and assigned to CAR in February 17, 2003. Benito S. Tumamao, Ed.D., Assistant Regional Director, was Officer In-Charge after the retirement of Remedios K. Taguba, Ph.D. in October 7, 2005. Then, Jesus Lazo Taberdo, Ph.D. CESO III became the Regional Director. However, he was detailed at Teachers’ Camp. Consequently, Director Tumamao was designated as Officer In-Charge until he was appointed as Regional Director on July 14, 2007.On April 1, 2009 to May 20, 2009, Josefina G. Tamondong, Ed.D. became the Officer In-Charge of the Office of the Regional Director until her appointment to full-fledged Regional Director on May 21, 2009. After the retirement of Director Tamondong last July 20, 2011, Teresita M. Velasco took the leadership of the Regional Office as Officer In-Charge from July 21, 2011 to March 18, 2012 when Director Ellen B. Donato Ed.D., CESO III took over as Regional Director up to the present.