The town is known for itsstrawberry fields, earning the title "Strawberry Fields of the Philippines".[2] The municipality is within theMetro Baguio area.
The valley encompassing La Trinidad was originally called "Benguet", a thriving community ofIbaloi migrants from Tinek.[1] Natives traded local products, which included gold, with nearby lowland towns that already hadDominican andAugustinianmissions established. In around 1616, Procurator-General ofManila,Hernándo de los Ríos Coronel, became interested in the mountains' gold and proposed to expedite its search to KingPhilip IV of Spain. He wrote in December 1618 to bothAlonso Fajardo, the Governor ofManila, andMiguel García Serrano, theArchbishop of Manila, that it was the solution to both the abandonedmissions as well as the depleted colonial treasury. Fajardo requested feedback from thereligious orders on this matter; whether waging a war against theIgorots wasjust. Only theJesuits objected to the war, preferring only that their "mines be occupied in the name of His Majesty".[9]
In 1620, Fajardo sent the first expedition under CaptainGarcía Aldana y Cabrera, Governor ofPangasinan. Aldana and his men took the route fromAringay, crossing the Naguilian River to Duplas (now inLa Union), then followed the Bornotan (Santo Rosario) River eventually reachingTakdian. Upon arriving at the mining community ofBua, the men found only a recently burned village, suggesting the natives fled with nothing for them to plunder. Aldana examined theAntamok mines and was able to gather some gold.[9]
A second expedition was sent in 1623 under the command of Sergeant MajorAntonio Carreño de Valdés. Carreño was able to repel some Igorot assaults, building two forts; 'Fort Santiago' overlooking the presentSanto Nino mines, and 'Fort del Rosario' in the Antamok-Itogon area. The Igorots submitted to Spanish authorities, only to strike back when therainy season made it difficult to send manpower and new supplies, prompting the Spaniards to retreat.[9]
Finally, in 1624, Fajardo sent CaptainAlonso Martín Quirante, a master of strategy, logistics and tactics. In February of that year, Quirante took off with a huge expedition of 1,903 soldiers, carpenters, miners, smiths, slaves, clerks and some requisite clergy. He divided his large force into three; the first to clear the road, the second to follow, and the third with rations and arms. This ensured they would reach the mining area after clearing out an Igorot fort along the way. Quirante was able to reach the mining areas, and discovered about two hundred abandoned houses, implying the locals fled beforehand. He rebuilt Fort Santiago, and examined five mines, four of which showed signs of having been abandoned by the Igorots: Arisey Bugayona, Baranaban, Antamog, and Conog. The fifth mine called Galan was still operational. Quirante ordered baskets of ore gathered from each mine, labeled and ready forassaying. The results showed no evidence of deposits rich enough to yield attractive profit, prompting Quirante to return to Manila with 400 baskets of ore to be sent toMexico for further assaying.[9]
Meanwhile, theReal Audiencia had become concerned at the expense of the project which had already cost 33,982pesos.DonGerónimo Silva took over the government, convening the council to decide on the issue. The Real Audiencia decided to abandon the project because of mounting expenses, loss of life and the continued hostility of the Igorots and their land.[9]
Although the District of Benguet was established in La Trinidad by 1846, it was only on April 21, 1874, under CommandantManuel Scheidnagel, theValle de Benguet was renamedValle de La Trinidad (La Trinidad Valley). Despite popular acceptance that it was named as "a fitting tribute to Galvey’s wife -Doña Trinidad de Galvey" – recent research has revealed that credit should have probably gone to Scheidnagel, having been inspired by the three prominent adjacent hills evoking the Holy Trinity overlooking thePoblación church, where theCabecera (seat of government) was established.[10]
Together with 40 smaller surroundingrancherías, La Trinidad was placed under the jurisdiction of the newly established Benguetcommandancia político-militar in 1846[11][12] and was established as its administrative headquarters during theSpanish Conquest of the Philippines.[1][13][14]
Aerial view of La Trinidad, looking northwards, March 1923.La Trinidad valley as viewed from the Benguet Provincial Capitol
During thePhilippine Revolution, in July 1898, Filipino revolutionary forces under the Ibaloi chieftainJuan Cariño andPedro Paterno liberated La Trinidad from the Spaniards and took over the government, proclaiming Benguet aa province of the newPhilippine Republic, and La Trinidad as its capital.[15][1]
In 1900, theAmerican colonizers arrived, and La Trinidad was established as one of the 19townships under the Benguet province upon the issuance ofAct No. 48.[13][16] For a brief period,Baguio was thecapital of Benguet when appointed Benguet province civil governor H.P. Whitmarsh moved the seat of government from La Trinidad to Baguio in 1901. La Trinidad was again the provincial capital in 1909 after Baguio was converted from a township into achartered city.[1]
La Trinidad was transformed into a full-fledged town from its former status as municipal district by virtue ofRepublic Act No. 531, approved June 16, 1950.[18]
On June 23, 2016, La Trinidad was highlighted in the media when the first and largest community artwork in the Philippines, theSTOBOSA Hillside Homes Artwork was unveiled, featuring hillside houses in thesitios of Stonehill, Botiwtiw and Sadjap of Barangay Balili, all painted withsunflowers and multicoloured abstract designs.[19][20]
According to thePhilippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 70.04 square kilometres (27.04 sq mi)[21] constituting2.53% of the 2,769.08-square-kilometre- (1,069.15 sq mi) total area of Benguet.
The terrain is generally mountainous with springs, rivers and creeks. The town has a valley which encompasses several barangays. The valley floor elevation is at 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) above sea level. Elevation ranges from 500 to 1,700 metres (1,600 to 5,600 ft) above sea level.
TheBalili River is the municipality's main water drainage which carries upstream water from the Sagudin River in Baguio.[22] The rivermerges with another upstream river in Tuel upon reaching the La Trinidad-Tublay-Sablantri-point.
La Trinidad is situated 253.91 kilometres (157.77 mi) from the country's capital city ofManila.
La Trinidad belongs under the Type I climate by the Coronas System of classification with distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry season lasts from November to April, while the wet season occurs during the rest of the year. The climate is cool, with temperatures ranging from 11.7 °C (53.1 °F) during the month of December at its coldest and 23.2 °C (73.8 °F) at its warmest during the months of March, April and May. The average daily temperature is 18.55 °C (65.39 °F), and its wind velocity is 1.43. During the rainiest month of August, the rainfall average is 850.70 millimetres (33.492 in).[citation needed]
La Trinidad is politically subdivided into 16barangays.[24], with 11 classified as urban and 5 as rural.[24] Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.
As of 2015, the most populous is Pico with 23,282 people, while Bineng, with 1,624 people, has the least.[25] Wangal is the largest in terms of land area,[26] while Cruz is the smallest.[27] Balili was the most densely populated, and Bineng was the least. Bineng has the most number ofsitios, while Betag has the least with only 4.
The town landed on theGuinness Book of World Records for baking the world's largest strawberryshortcake, at 21,213.40 pounds (9,622.24 kg), at the La Trinidad Strawberry Festival on March 20, 2004.[61]
Its proximity to the city ofBaguio attracts tourists, primarily to the strawberry fields in the valley, and lesser to the Benguet Provincial Capitol and the Rose Gardens of barangay Bahong.[3]
La Trinidad Municipal HallBenguet Provincial Capitol
La Trinidad, belonging to thelone congressional district of the province ofBenguet, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.
Benguet State UniversityDOST Regional Office - CAR
The La Trinidad Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.[75] La Trinidad, aside from the adjacent city of Baguio, is the center of higher education in Benguet province.[76]
^Lancion, Jr., Conrado M.; de Guzman,Rey (cartography) (1995). "The Provinces".Fast Facts about Philippine Provinces (The 2000 Millennium ed.). Makati, Metro Manila: Tahanan Books. p. 38.ISBN971-630-037-9. RetrievedJanuary 16, 2015.
^Catajan, Maria Elena (February 13, 2014)."Benguet blooms in focus".SunStar Baguio. Archived fromthe original on October 10, 2014. RetrievedOctober 6, 2014.
^"QC eyes sister city ties with Naga City".Manila Standard. February 15, 2017. Archived fromthe original on April 10, 2019. RetrievedApril 10, 2019.To date, Quezon City has sister-city ties with 11 other Philippine cities and municipalities—Sadangga in Mountain Province; General Santos City; Pura, Tarlac; Davao City; Iloilo City; Wao, Lanao del Sur; Cotabato City; La Trinidad, Benguet; Puerto Princesa; Banay-Banay, Davao Oriental; and Alicia, Isabela.
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Hitachiōta, Ibaraki, Japan[84]
Jincheon County, South Korea[85]
Laemrung, Thailand[86]
Tamuning, Guam, USA[87][88]
Media related toLa Trinidad, Benguet at Wikimedia Commons
La Trinidad, Benguet travel guide from Wikivoyage
