Benguet | |
|---|---|
     (2018-11-26).jpg) .jpg) (from top: left to right)Mount Pulag in Benguet,Binga Dam inItogon, Plantations inBokod, Mount Kabuyao in La Presa, mountain view inAtok, Benguet Provincial Capitol inLa Trinidad andBaguio City. | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: | |
| Motto(s): Unity, Industry, Prosperity | |
| Anthem: Benguet Hymn | |
 Location in the Philippines | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
| Coordinates:17°N121°E / 17°N 121°E /17; 121 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Cordillera Administrative Region |
| Founded | November 23, 1900 |
| Province | June 16, 1966 |
| Capital | La Trinidad |
| Largest city | Baguio |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Melchor D. Diclas (Lakas) |
| • Vice Governor | Ericson "Tagel" Felipe (Independent) |
| • Legislature | Benguet Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,769.08 km2 (1,069.15 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 47th out of 81 |
| (excluding Baguio) | |
| Highest elevation | 2,928 m (9,606 ft) |
| Population (2020 census)[5] | |
• Total | 460,683 |
• Estimate (2020) | 842,542[4] |
| • Rank | 61st out of 81 |
| • Density | 170/km2 (430/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 55th out of 81 |
| (excluding Baguio) | |
| Demonyms |
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| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 1
|
| • Component cities | 0 |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays |
|
| • Districts | |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)74 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-BEN |
| Spoken languages | |
| Website | benguet |
Benguet (/bɛŋˈɡɛt/), officially theProvince of Benguet (Ibaloi:Probinsya ne Benguet;Kankanaey:Probinsyan di Benguet;Pangasinan:Luyag/Probinsia na Benguet;Ilocano:Probinsia ti Benguet;Filipino:Lalawigan ng Benguet), is a landlockedprovince of thePhilippines located in the southern tip of theCordillera Administrative Region in the island ofLuzon. Itscapital isLa Trinidad.
Thehighland province is known as theSalad Bowl of the Philippines due to its huge production of upland vegetables.[1][2][6]
Situated within the interior of Benguet is thehighly urbanized city ofBaguio, which is administered independent from the province and also its largest city.
Themountainous area now covered by Benguet is generally presumed to have been settled from at least the 14th century by tribes coming from the surrounding lowlands, lured by the abundance of natural resources such as gold, hides, and wax. Two of these groups, theIbaloi and theKankanaey, are dominant ethnolinguistic groups of the area. In the pre-conquest period, these tribes enjoyed flourishing trade with lowland groups immediately to their west and south, such as thePangasinans. Governor Juan "Oraa" Cariño (1913–1918), one of Benguet’s governors, was the first Filipino governor.
The Kankanaey occupied the northern highlands of the province, while the Ibaloy occupied the southern portion, while all Igorots practicedanimism andancestor worship. Rituals were proscribed by the priests,mambunong. The economy of the region was based onrice terraces,root cropswidden farming, livestock raising, hunting, foraging, plus the mining and trading of gold. These Igorot gold mines were located in Suyoc, Tabio, Acupan, and Antamok.Gold panning took place inplacer deposits along theAgno River, theBued River, the Suyoc River, and theAmburayan River. Gold was also mined fromlodeveins withinandesite anddiorite. Gold in Mankayan was associated with copper. Gold mining resulted in social stratification, with the upper class consisting of the mine owners, thebaknang, followed by the gold workers, orabiteg, and then thebagaen, orslave class. These slaves were made up of war captives, and their children. Gold mines were inheritable kinship property, while original ownership was bestowed on those individuals discovering the gold location, and then developing the property.[7][8]: 183
At the beginning of theSpanish Era, colonisers heard of the rich gold mines in the mountains and attempted to colonize the highlands, but failed. In 1572, SpanishconquistadorJuan de Salcedo led a small expedition into the southern part of Benguet, but the natives forced it to retreat.[6] The first major expedition into the mountains occurred in 1620, when Spanish explorers went into theLa Trinidad Valley, followed by a second expedition in 1623, and a third in 1624. This was the last attempt to occupy the Baguio gold mines by the Spanish until the Galvey expeditions (1829-1839).[7]: 473–475
In the 1800s, Spanish colonizers made more serious attempts such as expeditions under Col. Guillermo Galvey[9]: 280 and succeeded in establishing a presence in the La Trinidad Valley, named after Galvey's wife.[6]
This area later became a district of the new province ofLa Montañosa (orLa Montaña)[10][11] in 1846. Eight years later, in 1854, Benguet became a separatecomandancia politico-militar. Parts of the present province were established as component territories of othercomandancias such as Lepanto andAmburayan.[6]
When theAmericans took control of the Philippines, they established local civil governments in many parts of the country. American civilian government was established in Benguet on November 23, 1900, throughAct No. 48, withCanadian journalistH.P. Whitmarsh appointed as the province's first governor.[12]
| Township | Abolished? | Notes | Township | Abolished? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adaoay | Yes | Currently part ofKabayan | Itogon | No | ||
| Ambuklao | Yes | Currently part ofBokod | Kabayan | No | ||
| Ampusongan | Yes | Currently part ofBakun | Kapangan | No | ||
| Atok | No | Kibungan | No | |||
| Baguio | Yes | Converted into achartered city in 1909* | La Trinidad | No | ||
| Balakbak | Yes | Currently part ofKapangan | Loo | Yes | Currently part ofBuguias | |
| Bokod | No | Palina | Yes | Currently part ofKibungan | ||
| Buguias | No | Sablan | No | |||
| Daclan | Yes | Currently part ofBokod | Tublay | No | ||
| Galiano | Yes | |||||
Upon the American colonial government enactingAct No. 1876 on August 18, 1908, which createdMountain Province from areas of the oldLa Montañosa, Benguet (along withAmburayan,Apayao, Bontoc,Ifugao,Kalinga, and Lepanto) became sub-provinces of this new province.[6][15] A year later in 1909, the township ofBaguio was abolished upon its conversion into a chartered city. In 1920, portions of the sub-provinces of Amburayan and Lepanto were incorporated into Benguet.[6]
Mining companies started operating in the province in the 1930s. This brought jobs, and many lowlanders migrated to Benguet, especially in towns surrounding the gold mines, such asItogon,Mankayan andTuba.[16]
DuringWorld War II, Igorot guerrillas and the combined Filipino and American forcesfoughtJapanese soldiers during the final days of the war in 1945.[further explanation needed]
As part of theJapanese defence of the Philippines,General Yamashita situated his military headquarters in Baguio, from where he organised the Japanese resistance onLúzon from December 1944 to April 1945, before he relocated to the village ofBambang.[17]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(January 2016) |
On June 18, 1966, the hugeMountain Province was split into four provinces with the enactment ofRepublic Act No. 4695. The four provinces were Benguet,Mountain Province,Kalinga-Apayao andIfugao.[6][18][19]
On June 22, 1973, as part of theIntegrated Organization Plan of PresidentFerdinand Marcos, Benguet was placed under the jurisdiction of theIlocos Region.[20]
When theCordillera Administrative Region was established by PresidentCorazon Aquino throughExecutive Order 220 on July 15, 1987, Benguet was made one of its provinces.[6][21][22]
TheBaguio Mining District consists ofLate Cretaceousophiolitebasement rocks. These are overlain byEoceneback arctholeiitic PugoMetavolcanics. These grade into the DalupiripSchist, which is separated from theEarly Oligocene-Early Miocenesedimentary ZigzagFormation by anunconformity. The Zigzag is composed of deepdepositional environmentinterbedded greensandstones, redsiltstones,oligomicitc conglomerates, and minorlimestone units. The lateEarly Miocene-earlyMiddle Miocenereefal Kennon Limestone overlays the Zigzag. TheLate Oligocene-Early Miocene AgnoBatholithintrudes the Pugo and Zigzag. The Middle-Late Miocene Klondyke Formation was deposited during Central Cordillerageologic uplift, consisting ofcoarseclastics, polymictic conglomerates, sandstones, and vitric (glassy)tuffs, with minor shales and siltstones. Gold mineralization occurred withdioritic andgabbroic intrusions, andbasaltic toandesitic lavas, including the Mongloadakite. ThePliocene Baguio Formation consists of conglomerates interbedded with lava flows andpyroclastics.Pleistocene gold-copper mineralization occurred withcalc-alkaline and dioritic anddacitic adakitic intrusions. This mineralization characterizes the Philex Mine.[23]
The main goldbase metalmineralization zone is approximately 8 km wide, trends north south for tens of kilometers, and is centrally located at 16° 20' to 16° 26' N latitude and 120° 37' 30" to 120° 43' 30" E longitude. The western boundary of this zone is defined by a volcanic belt, just west of Baguio, while the eastern boundary is defined by an intrusive belt, just east of the Itogon and Antamok mines. The Agno quartz diorite batholith is further east nearBinga Dam. Key mines, starting from the south, include the Philex (Cu), Acupan (Au), Itogon (Au), Black Mt. (Cu), Benguet Exploration (Cu), Atok (Au), Antamok (Cu and Au), and Baguio Gold (Au), where Baguio Gold and Antamok are east of Baguio. Continuing northwards, key mines include the King Solomon (Cu), St. Nino (Cu), Boneng (Cu), Lobo (Cu), Gambang (Cu and Au), and Lepanto (Cu and Au). By 1979, underground mining had reached Level 1850 in the Antamok Mine.[24][25][8]
Benguet covers an area of 2,769.08 square kilometres (1,069.15 sq mi) occupying the southwestern tip of theCordillera Administrative Region. If Baguio is included for geographical purposes, the total area of Benguet is 2,826.59 square kilometres (1,091.35 sq mi).[26]
The province is bordered on the northeast byMountain Province andIfugao, on the southeast byNueva Vizcaya, on the south byPangasinan, on the west byLa Union, and on the northwest byIlocos Sur.
Situated within theCordillera mountains, Benguet is dominantly mountainous.Mount Pulag, the highest inLuzon is located withinKabayan. The mountains form the headwaters of severalrivers, the major ones which include theAgno,Amburayan,Bued, Bakun,Balili and the Asin. Some of these run throughriver valleys orgorges.
Several natural lakes, small in size, are found within thehinterlands. The largest are the "Four Lakes" in Kabayan; Lake Bulalacao, Lake Detepngepos, Lake Incolos and Lake Tabeyo.[27]
The province is the location of several conservation areas, the largest of which are theUpper Agno River Basin Resource Reserve, Mount Pulag National Park, Mount Data National Park andLower Agno Watershed Forest Reserve.
Most of Benguet falls under thesubtropical highland climate (KöppenCwb) zone, experiencing annual average highs of 25.3 °C (77.5 °F) in April and lows of 13.3 °C (55.9 °F) in January.[28]
The province suffers from crop damage resulting from seasonalfrost during the cold months of December to March, especially in high-altitude towns such as Atok, Buguias, Mankayan and Kibungan.[29][30] In February 2007, Benguet suffered crop damage due to temperatures reaching as low as 7 °C (45 °F).[31]
| Climate data for Benguet | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.9 (75.0) | 24.7 (76.5) | 25.3 (77.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.1 (75.4) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.5 (72.5) | 23 (73) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.7 (74.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) | 13.9 (57.0) | 14.8 (58.6) | 16.2 (61.2) | 16.7 (62.1) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.4 (61.5) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.3 (61.3) | 16 (61) | 15.5 (59.9) | 14.2 (57.6) | 15.5 (60.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 150.8 (5.94) | 101.8 (4.01) | 82.3 (3.24) | 44.9 (1.77) | 132.5 (5.22) | 146 (5.7) | 196.9 (7.75) | 181.6 (7.15) | 168.5 (6.63) | 199.2 (7.84) | 191.2 (7.53) | 233.7 (9.20) | 1,829.4 (71.98) |
| Average rainy days | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 21 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 163 |
| Source 1:Storm247(for average temperature and rainy days)[28] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:WorldWeatherOnline(for average precipitation)[32] | |||||||||||||
Benguet comprises 13municipalities, all encompassed bydouble legislative districts.[26]
Thehighly urbanized city ofBaguio, although administratively independent from Benguet, is situated in the interior of the province, surrounded by the municipalities ofLa Trinidad,Itogon,Sablan andTuba. The city used to be part of the province but became independent when the city's charter was enacted in 1909.
The 13 municipalities of the province comprise a total of 140barangays, withPico in La Trinidad as the most populous in 2010, andAnchokey in Kabayan as the least.[34]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 21,697 | — |
| 1918 | 43,601 | +4.76% |
| 1939 | 122,204 | +5.03% |
| 1948 | 110,081 | −1.15% |
| 1960 | 183,657 | +4.36% |
| 1970 | 179,012 | −0.26% |
| 1975 | 204,616 | +2.72% |
| 1980 | 235,742 | +2.87% |
| 1990 | 302,715 | +2.53% |
| 1995 | 313,833 | +0.68% |
| 2000 | 330,129 | +1.09% |
| 2007 | 372,533 | +1.68% |
| 2010 | 403,944 | +2.99% |
| 2015 | 446,224 | +1.91% |
| 2020 | 460,683 | +0.63% |
| (excluding Baguio) Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[33][34][35] | ||
The population of Benguet in the 2020 census was 460,683 people,[5] making it the most populous province in the region. It had a density of 170 inhabitants per square kilometre or 440 inhabitants per square mile. If the highly urbanized city ofBaguio is included for geographical purposes, the population is 791,590, with a density of280/km2 (725/sq mi).
In the May 2000 census, Benguet had a total population of 330,129. This figure is up by 16,296 from 313,833 persons recorded in the 1995 census, giving an annual growth rate of 1.09% during the 5-year period compared to the national average of 2.43%. The province registered 63,123 households, an increase of 4,588 households over the 1990 figure. This gave an average household size of 5.20 persons, slightly higher than the national average of 4.99.
| Ethnicity as of 2000[36] |
|---|
|
Thepeople of Benguet comprise three mainethnolinguistic groups.Kankanaeys dominate the northwestern municipalities,Ibalois are concentrated on the southeast, andKalanguyas are mostly found in the east.[6][37][38] Migrants from lowland provinces have fused with the local populace to form amelting pot in some[vague] areas.[19][38][39]
According to the 2000 Philippine census, Kankanaeys comprised42.96% (141,434) of the entire provincial household population of 329,216 at the time, while29.15% (95,968) were identified as Ibalois, and3.69% (12,147) wereIkalahan/Kalanguya. Major resident lowland ethnic groups includedIlocanos at13.36% (43,984) andTagalogs at2.36% (7,773). Ilokano population particularly doctors, teachers, businessmen and public servants arrived during the American period for the improvement of the health condition and for the education of the people. The pioneer Ilocanos helped establish La Trinidad as a commercial and political center.This resulted in an improved healthcare, education and economic life of the people' lives. It also established a closer ties between the Ilocanos and the Cordillerans.[36]
Benguet residents generally speak their own languages in addition toIlocano,Tagalog, andEnglish, which are used for trade and commerce. TheIbaloi tribe speakIbaloi, which is similar toPangasinan, while theKankanaey have theirown eponymous language, which is related to theBontoc language.
TheSIL Ethnologue database classifies the languages under theSouth-Central Cordilleran branch.Nabaloy (named in the database asIbaloi) is part of theSouthern Cordilleran branch which also includesPangasinense. TheKankanaey language is under theCentral Cordilleran branch, which also includesBontoc andIfugao.[40]
Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion with 59% adherence,[41] Other groups such asMembers Church of God International (MCG),[42]Protestants, especiallyAnglicans,Methodists,Baptists, andEvangelicals, form about 33% of the population,[43][44] while theIglesia ni Cristo forms about 7%.[45] There is also small community ofMuslims (0.472% of the province population).
Agriculture,mining, andtourism are the major industries in Benguet. Its cool climate and high altitude has made it an ideal place for producing highland vegetables. Benguet is often called theSalad Bowl of the Philippines.[2][6][38] The La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post in the capital town of La Trinidad serves as the hub of vegetable trading in the province, attracting farmers, merchants and traders from the local community and the Philippines' different provinces.[54] Major crops produced which includepotatoes,Baguio beans,peas,strawberries,cabbage,broccoli,cauliflower,lettuce,sayote andcarrots are shipped throughout the country.[6][55][56][57]
Horticulture andfloriculture are practiced in the province.[58] The province supplies flowers to the different municipalities, including Baguio, as well as toMetro Manila, including other parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.[59][60][61]Roses are produced, particularly in Barangay Bahong in La Trinidad, earning the barangay the titleRose Capital of the Philippines.[62] Apisang (scientific name:Pittosporum resiniferum), a plantendemic to the Philippines (as well as Malaysia), is grown in the municipalities of Kapangan and Kibungan as a potential alternative source of fuel and energy, rivaling thejatrophabiofuel plant.[63][64]
Other agricultural-related activities aremonggo processing,fruit preservation,peanut brittle manufacturing,broom making andbasket weaving.[6][65]
Mining is a major industry in Benguet, which is one of the country's leadinggold producers.[6] TheBenguet Corporation, the first and oldest mining company in the Philippines, has extracted gold,copper andchromite inItogon since 1903.[66][67]
Other mineral deposits aresilver, copper,pyrite, andlimestone.Silver smithing is a large industry in Benguet, and many entrepreneurs sell silver works at lower prices inBaguio compared toManila. In 2006, revenues from mining reached 4 billion pesos from just two (Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation and Philex Mines) of many mining firms operating in the province. The province's mining vigor has never translated into better quality of life of the Benguet people, simply because a bulk of the mining firm's taxes are not paid directly to the province.[68] The two mining corporations, like many others around the country, have principal offices in the City of Makati, a set-up that makes Makati the prime mining tax beneficiary.
The location of Baguio within Benguet draws many tourists from the lowlands. Often, people who go to Baguio also explore the province, especially the strawberry fields in La Trinidad.
Higher education in the province is centered in the capital town ofLa Trinidad,[69] which houses theMain Campus of the only university in Benguet, theBenguet State University (BSU). The university has twosatellite campuses in two municipalities; theBuguias Campus atLoo, Buguias, and theBokod Campus atAmbangeg, Bokod.[70]
Other educational institutions which include Advocates Academic College, BVS Colleges, Cordillera Career Development College, King's College of the Philippines,Philippine College of Ministry,Philippine Nazarene College, as well as theCordillera Regional Science High School, the Benguet National High School (with several annexes) and the BenguetSPED Center are also situated within La Trinidad.
The independent chartered city of Baguio hosts several higher education institutions, which include most notably theUniversity of the Philippines Baguio,Saint Louis University,University of the Cordilleras (formerlyBaguio Colleges Foundation),University of Baguio, Pines City Colleges,Baguio Central University, and Baguio School of Business and Technology, attracting students from across the Philippines.
The province is a major tourist destination in the country,[1] with most of its tourist spots centered on culture and nature.[71]Baguio's location within the province provides a boost to the tourism industry of the province.[72] Notable interesting places in the province includeMount Pulag alongKabayan,Kennon Road inTuba,Ambuklao Dam inBokod,Binga Dam inItogon, strawberry and flower farms in La Trinidad, and the Palina and Naguey rice terraces inAtok.
Tuba andTublay hot springs are usually flocked by local tourists from the neighboring provinces. Vegetable terraces can be seen along theHalsema Highway, especially during the growing season. Kabayan is known for its centuries-oldmummies, whileBuguias is visited for its hot springs and the Apo Anno.
(Note:Pugo was part of the municipal district of Benguet Province until February 4, 1920)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)From Tawangan where the trekkers will spend the second night, they will visit the four mystic lakes namely Tabeyo, Bulalacao, Incolos, and Detepngepos described as icy cool and crystal clear water and lush green foliage that refreshes the soul.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Benguet produces more than 1.6 million kilograms of vegetables daily to Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Benguet province currently supplies 80 percent of highland vegetables such as carrots, sayote, potatoes, lettuce, cabbage among other semi-temperate vegetables being sold in Metro Manila public markets and supermarkets.
BENGUET farmers have shipped 2.5 million kilos of vegetables from Saturday to Tuesday as they try to keep out with bulk orders for the Christmas holiday. ... Benguet provides 80 percent of the country's vegetable needs. ... As many as 140 trucks haul vegetables from the Benguet Trading Post mainly to Metro Manila.
Majority of flowers sold in Dangwa in Metro Manila are being propagated in Benguet. The province produced more than 30 million metric tons of cut flowers in 2014, making it the top flower producer and supplier for most of Luzon including Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao and providing farmers of millions of pesos in earnings annually.
Aside from strawberries, the municipality of La Trinidad is also known for its flower growing villages where eco-farm tourism is being developed as a complimentary [sic] destination outside Baguio. The towns of La Trinidad, Atok, Tublay, Kapangan, Kibungan and Buguias have been producing cut flowers sold in several local markets around the country. Barangay Bahong in La Trinidad is dubbed as the famous flower growing community declared as the Rose Capital of the Philippines in 1998 by then Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
Download coordinates as:
Media related toBenguet at Wikimedia Commons
Benguet travel guide from Wikivoyage
Geographic data related toBenguet atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Benguet | |
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