CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION
(CAR)

Philippines has many region, one of the region is the CAR region or CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION. These regions consist of Benguet, Mountain Province, Kalinga Apayao, Abra, and Ifugao.

There have many tribes that living in this region. One of them is the Ibaloy which are living in the Benguet mountain province and they are the closest neighbor of the Kalingas although they have a similar culture they speak a different dialect. Kalinga is also one of the ethnic groups in the CAR region which live in the Northern Luzon. They are some ethno linguistic groups inhabiting Northern Luzon. They are of Malayan heritage and they were feared by their head hunting activities. Other tribe of the CAR region is the Isneg they lived in the northwesterly end of northern Luzon in the upper half of Cordillera Province. They were described as slender and graceful structure, with manner that was kind, hospitable, and generous, possessed with the spirit of self-reliance and courage and clearly artistic in their temperament. They are also close neighbor to the Kalinga, Tingguian and Ifugao. Tangguian is other tribes on this region. They lived in the Abra which occupies the western portion of the Cordillera Region in northern Luzon. They were also called Itneg which is the other early inhabitants of Abra. Ifugao is also other tribes in this region which is the most prominent of the mountain people. They were known collectively as Igorots, consisting of the major groups. Their ancestor built the famous rice terraces over 2,000 years ago without the aid of metal tools. Other tribes are the Bontoc. It refers to the people of the Mountain Province. The Bontoc are the only people in the Mountain province that have laws on warfare, including the making of the peace pacts. Mountain Province sits on the Cordillera Mountain range which runs from north to south. The Kankanay live in the Mountain Province of Benguet. They are the third largest cultural community in the mountain province. They have brown skin, large eyes, and prominent cheekbones.

All the ethnic groups in the Cordillera Autonomous Region have their own way of living but some of them are the same. Some of their agricultures are terracing, planting crops, fishing, hunting, harvesting rice and vegetables. They believe also in the anito or spirits of their ancestors. These ethnic groups have also different culture and traditions. And they also have their different literature which they entertain it to others.

"Biag ni Lam-ang"

The story of Biag ni lam-ang is wonderful, amazing and magical story. This story is full of emotion, love and drama within the characters. Wonderful and amazing because of the flow of the story in the life of Lam-ang. It is unbelievable when a new born baby can speak and he is the one who choose his own name.

When lam-ang was growing up he started to ask about his father and he found out that his father go away to fight the Igorots. And Lam-ang dreamt about his father and it was killed by the Igorots , they still feasting around his father’s head. Lam-ang slew them all. He heard about the beautiful maiden named Ines Kannoyan, the daughter of the richest man of Kalanutian. And he starts to fall in love with Ines. Lam-ang told his mother of his desire to court the maiden inspite of discouraging of his mother he took a white rooster and a dog as he went ti Ines. On his way to Kalanutian, he met his rival Sumarang. They quarreled violently and he won against him. Sarindang tried to seduce him but he rejected her advances. As he reached Kalanutian he found a crowd of rivals for the hand of Ines. And he impressed Ines from the rooster. Ines and her parents learned the true intensions of lam-ang. The parents of Ines asked for the a bride price. They said that they will bestow the hands of Ines to Lam-ang if he could equal their wealth consisting of lands and golds. Lma-ang went home and prepared for his wedding and he married Ines and there was great celebration. The headman of the town remind Lam-ang of their tradition, where lam-ang had to catch Rarang. Lam-ang told Ines his premonition that he would be bitten by agiant fist. Because of that Ines was so sad and lonely but the rooster told her that Lam-ang will be revived if his bones could be recovered. With the help of the diver named Marcos, his bones were instructed to do and with the help of his pets, the life began to stir in the assembled bones of Lam-ang. And because of that Lam-ang rewarded the diver and the couple lived happily ever after with their pets.
In the power of love many things can happen and can sacrifice and true love can wait and to know and accept the different traditions and culture, love and protect the animals around us.