While 68 percent of the Cordilleran population are indigenous peoples, about a fifth of the nearly 1.8 million found in the six provinces and two cities are Ilocanos.
With a total number of 396,713 residents, according to the population of ethnicity of the 2020 national census, Ilocanos outnumber the Kankana-eys, the biggest of these IP groups, who have a total population of 340,587.
Kankana-eys populate Northern Benguet and Western Mountain Province.
There are more Ilocanos than the combined Kalinga and Ibaloy IP groups, the second and third most IPs at 180,242 and 159,890, respectively.
In fact, there are more Ilocanos than Tingguians in Abra. Ilocanos number about 146,739 in the said province which is 37 percent of the total in the region. Ilocanos comprise nearly a third of Baguio’s more than 350,000 residents.
And they outnumber the combined population that totals 290,472 of the five bigger IP communities – Tuwali of Northwestern Ifugao (77,471), Ayangan of Southeastern Ifugao (69,229), Applai (56,120) of Western Mountain Province mostly of Sagada-Besao, Bontoc of the Bontoc-Sadanga areas (45,411) and the Isnag/Isneg of Apayao (42,141).
Ilocanos in Apayao actually outnumber the IPs there with a population of 51,573.
Tagalogs are the second most number of lowlanders in the region and who are found mostly in Baguio at 63,584 which is more than the number of Applais, Bontocs, and Isnegs.
Of the 12 biggest ethnic groups surveyed, Pangasinenses are the least at 37,350.
The other IP groups found in the region are the Agta/Aeta, which are most often not recognized. They are found in Apayao and are recognized claimants of the Zumigue-Bayugao ancestral domain in the municipality of Luna.
They are much more in number than the Karao of Barangay Karao in Bokod, Benguet, and the Iwak/Iowak of Sitio Domolpos in Barangay Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet.
The National Commission of Indigenous People records show the native IPs of the Cordillera Region are the Applai, Ayangan, Balangao, Bontok, Gaddang, Ibaloy, Iwak/Iowak, Isnag, Isneg, Kalanguya, Kalinga, Kankana-ey, Tingguian and Tuwali. Pigeon Lobien
