Benguet, Cordillera Autonomous Region, Philippines
Biographical Information
PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF BENGUET
FAST FACTS
Capital : La Trinidad
Area : 2,655 sq km
Population : 485,546
Cities : Baguio City
No. of Towns : 13
Click Here to
See the List of Towns
Benguet occupies the southern top of the Cordillera Mountain
Range in
northern Luzon. It is bounded on the north by Ilocos Sur and the
Mountain
Province, on the east by Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya, on the west by
La
Union, and on the south by Pangasinan. Baguio City, the summer
capital of
the Philippines, is located in the south central part of Benguet.
It is highly
urbanized city, with an area of 49 sq km and a population of
183,102.
THE LAND
Benguet is a plateau. At 1,500 m above sea level, it has a rugged
and sloping
terrain, dotted with hot springs and cut by rivers that drain
into many valleys.
Mountains rise from the plateau. The second highest mountain in
the
Philippines at 2,930 m, Mt. Pulog, is here. The Halsema Mountain
Highway
traverses the province from south to north and includes the
highest point
(2,255 m) of all Philippine highways. Benguet possesses a
pleasantly cool
climate. Like the western half of Luzon, Benguet has wet and dry
seasons of
equal duration, but experiences heavy rainfall because of its
elevation.
A BRIEF HISTORY
In 1572, Juan de Salcedo led a Spanish expedition into southern
Benguet, but
the forced them to retreat. The Igorots fiercely resisted
colonization so the
Spaniards loosely "governed" them for over 200 years
from their headquarters
in Agoo, La Union. In 1846, Commander Guillermo Galvey, after 45
preliminary expeditions, established a commandancia in La
Trinidad, which he
named after his wife. In 1908, Benguet became one of the
sub-provinces of
the newly-created Mountain Province. In 1920, Benguet absorbed
Amburayan and Lepanto.
On June 18, 1966, Republic Act No. 4695 divided the old Mountain
Province
into four provinces, one of which was Benguet. On July 15, 1987,
as a result
of a sipot (peace accord) between the government and local
revolutionaries,
Executive Order No. 220 created the Cordillera Administrative
Region of
which Benguet is a part.
THE PEOPLE
Benguet is the homeland of three tribes, collectively referred to
as Igorots.
The Ibaloi live in the southeast, the Kankanai in the northwest,
and the
Kalanguya in the east. All three tribes share common beliefs,
such as the
existence of unseen beings who can harm or help mortals. They
observe
common rituals, especially the canao which involves animal
sacrifice, feasting,
and dancing. They live in single-room houses raised on posts and
topped by a
pyramidal thatched roof. They are skilled wood-carvers,
basketmakers, and
weavers. The Igorots are divided by dialect. Ibalois speak
Nabaloy, which is
similar to Pangasinense; Kankanais speak Kalkai, which is related
to the
Bontoc dialect.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Because of its temperature climate, Benguet's leading
agricultural activity is
vegetable production. the province is know as the "Salad
Bowl of the
Philippines". Major crops include white potatoes, Baguio
beans, peas,
strawberries, cabbage, lettuce, and carrots. Agri-based business
activities
include monggo processing, fruits preservation, peanut brittle
production,
broom making, basket weaving, and floriculture. Benguet is also
the country's
leading gold producer. Other deposits are copper, pyrite, and
limestone. As of
1991, there are four mines operating in the province: Philex,
Lepanto, Itogon,
and Benguet.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised: June 17, 1999
