Kabayan | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Kabayan | |
 Rice terraces | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Map of Benguet with Kabayan highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg)  Kabayan Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:16°37′24″N120°50′17″E / 16.6233°N 120.8381°E /16.6233; 120.8381 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Cordillera Administrative Region |
| Province | Benguet |
| District | Lone district |
| Barangays | 13 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Florante B. Bantales Jr. |
| • Vice Mayor | Mike E. Badival |
| • Representative | Eric Go Yap |
| • Electorate | 10,506 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 242.69 km2 (93.70 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,613 m (5,292 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 2,688 m (8,819 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 932 m (3,058 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 15,841 |
| • Density | 65.273/km2 (169.06/sq mi) |
| • Households | 3,752 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 4th municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 11.34 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 169.5 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 345 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 116.8 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 71.04 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 2606 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)74 |
| Native languages | Kankanaey language Ibaloi Ilocano Tagalog |
Kabayan, officially theMunicipality of Kabayan (Ilocano:Ili ti Kabayan;Tagalog:Bayan ng Kabayan), is amunicipality in theprovince ofBenguet,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 15,841 people.[5]
The town is the site of centuries-oldIbaloimummies buried inside caves scattered around its villages.[6] The third highest mountain in the Philippines,Mount Pulag, is located in the territorial boundary of the vegetable farming town.
The nameKabayan was derived from the termKaba-ayan, from theIbaloi wordba-ay, a root crop vine thriving in the place. Most of the earlyIbaloi settlements, in the area, which includeEddet andDuacan, were named after grasses in the heavily forested area.[7]
The first Ibaloi settlers in Benguet arrived atImbose (orEmbosi), located in present-day Kabayan.[7][8]
Mummification of the dead was practiced long beforeSpanish colonizers reached the place.[7][9]
In the late 1800s, Spanish colonizers reachedKabayan via trails constructed throughout the mountain region. Organized into threerancherias, namelyAdaoay,Kabayan, andLutab (orDutab), Kabayan was registered under thecomandancia politico-militar of Benguet in 1846.[7][8]Lutab (currentlybarangayPoblacion orKabayan Central[10]) was later integrated into theKabayanrancheria.[8]
The practice of mummification of the dead would be discouraged by the Spaniards, until it would die out.[9][11]
During theAmerican rule,Kabayan andAdaoay were established as two of the 19 townships of the province of Benguet, upon the issuance ofAct No. 48 by thePhilippine Commission on November 22, 1900.[8][12][13]
On August 13, 1908, Benguet would be established with the enactment ofAct No. 1876 as a sub-province of the newly createdMountain Province. Six townships of Benguet were later abolished, includingAdaoay, which was integrated into the township of Kabayan.[8][13]
On June 25, 1963, then-PresidentDiosdado Macapagal issuedExecutive Order No. 42 converting eight (8) of the thirteen (13) towns (designated asmunicipal districts) of Benguet sub-province into regular municipalities. Kabayan was among them.[14]
On June 18, 1966, the sub-province of Benguet was separated from the oldMountain Province and would be converted into aregular province. Kabayan remained to be a component municipality of the newly established province.[13][15]
The Municipality of Kabayan is located at16°37′24″N120°50′17″E / 16.6233°N 120.8381°E /16.6233; 120.8381, at the central-eastern section of Benguet. It is bounded byBuguias on the north,Kibungan on the north-west,Atok on the south-west,Bokod on the south,Kayapa on the southeast, andTinoc on the north-east.
According to thePhilippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 242.69 square kilometres (93.70 sq mi) [16] constituting8.76% of the 2,769.08-square-kilometre- (1,069.15 sq mi) total area of Benguet.
Kabayan is situated 63.50 kilometres (39.46 mi) from the provincial capitalLa Trinidad, and 316.43 kilometres (196.62 mi) from the country's capital city ofManila.
Kabayan is politically subdivided into 13barangays.[17] Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.
| PSGC | Barangay | Population | ±% p.a. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024[18] | 2010[19] | |||||
| 141107001 | Adaoay | 4.4% | 692 | 670 | ▴ | 0.22% |
| 141107002 | Anchukey | 1.8% | 290 | 296 | ▾ | −0.14% |
| 141107003 | Ballay | 19.0% | 3,011 | 2,623 | ▴ | 0.95% |
| 141107004 | Bashoy | 13.7% | 2,165 | 1,597 | ▴ | 2.11% |
| 141107005 | Batan | 6.8% | 1,072 | 944 | ▴ | 0.88% |
| 141107009 | Duacan | 4.8% | 758 | 709 | ▴ | 0.46% |
| 141107010 | Eddet | 5.9% | 927 | 740 | ▴ | 1.56% |
| 141107012 | Gusaran | 9.2% | 1,460 | 1,330 | ▴ | 0.64% |
| 141107013 | Kabayan Barrio | 2.7% | 423 | 337 | ▴ | 1.57% |
| 141107014 | Lusod | 5.5% | 872 | 794 | ▴ | 0.65% |
| 141107016 | Pacso | 7.6% | 1,208 | 1,247 | ▾ | −0.22% |
| 141107017 | Poblacion (Central) | 12.1% | 1,918 | 1,567 | ▴ | 1.40% |
| 141107018 | Tawangan | 6.4% | 1,010 | 734 | ▴ | 2.22% |
| Total | 15,841 | 15,806 | ▴ | 0.02% | ||
In the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Anchukey would be the least populated barangay in the province of Benguet.[19]
| Climate data for Kabayan, Benguet | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21 (70) | 22 (72) | 23 (73) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 21 (70) | 23 (73) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13 (55) | 14 (57) | 15 (59) | 17 (63) | 18 (64) | 18 (64) | 18 (64) | 18 (64) | 18 (64) | 17 (63) | 15 (59) | 14 (57) | 16 (61) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 38 (1.5) | 57 (2.2) | 77 (3.0) | 141 (5.6) | 390 (15.4) | 355 (14.0) | 426 (16.8) | 441 (17.4) | 426 (16.8) | 259 (10.2) | 97 (3.8) | 57 (2.2) | 2,764 (108.9) |
| Average rainy days | 10.4 | 12.1 | 15.4 | 20.4 | 26.7 | 27.1 | 28.7 | 28.0 | 26.4 | 19.9 | 14.1 | 12.3 | 241.5 |
| Source: Meteoblue(modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[20] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 22 | — |
| 1918 | 2,841 | +38.27% |
| 1939 | 4,190 | +1.87% |
| 1948 | 3,805 | −1.07% |
| 1960 | 5,869 | +3.68% |
| 1970 | 7,116 | +1.94% |
| 1975 | 8,363 | +3.29% |
| 1980 | 9,072 | +1.64% |
| 1990 | 10,306 | +1.28% |
| 1995 | 10,510 | +0.37% |
| 2000 | 12,344 | +3.51% |
| 2007 | 12,657 | +0.35% |
| 2010 | 13,588 | +2.62% |
| 2015 | 15,260 | +2.23% |
| 2020 | 15,806 | +0.74% |
| 2024 | 15,841 | +0.05% |
| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[21][22][19][23][24] | ||
In the 2020 census, Kabayan had a population of 15,806.[25] The population density was 65 inhabitants per square kilometre (170/sq mi).
Poverty incidence of Kabayan
10 20 30 40 50 60 2000 57.87 2003 38.98 2006 18.00 2009 58.61 2012 15.67 2015 10.37 2018 19.14 2021 11.34 Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] |
Kabayan, 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.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Congressman | Eric G. Yap(elected)[35] |
| Mayor | Florante B. Bantales Jr. |
| Vice-Mayor | Mike E. Badival |
| Councilors | Rex Alwin G. Aquisan |
| Sario M. Minas | |
| Roli Francis L. Wakit | |
| Orlan W. Kelcho | |
| Roli Nover L. Baskial | |
| Ghislyn F. Lucio-Marave | |
| Rudy B. Alos | |
| Marylou B. Cosalan |
Kabayan is best known for the antiquated centuries-oldmummies andMount Pulag, the third highest mountain in the Philippines. The Kabayan mummy burial caves are officially proclaimed Philippine National Cultural Treasures pursuant toPresidential Decree No. 374, and is under consideration as aWorld Heritage Site.[36] The mummified body of Apo Annu, a tribal leader, was stolen but recovered by an antique collector and was returned to the town. Archaeologists from various countries have visited the town to promote preservation of the mummies due to deterioration of the cadavers. The caves containing the cadavers of these mummies have been declared byMonument Watch as one of the "100 Most Endangered Sites" in the world.[37]
Mount Pulag is a destination for mountaineers, hikers, including picnickers. At its summit, the climbers can see the surroundings of the whole northLuzon.
In May, 2024, theNational Museum of the Philippines RAOD Chief Paolo Mar Chan announced the PHP25 million rehabilitation of National Museum-Kabayan's Site 1, the home to female mummies. It houses ageological collection andnatural history artifacts on local death rites and rituals, mummies, plants used in mummification process and Kabayan-Ibaloi people items. The Museum also conserves and protects the Timbac burial caves and the mummy rocks, which features the famous “Apo Anno” mummy, a revered ancestor, inBuguias, Benguet. Timbac fire mummies are kept and preserved in the Timbac Mummy Rock Shelters or Timbac Caves inMount Timbak (Mt. Singakalsa, 2717 meters above sea level, Luzon's 3rd highest and the 9th highest in the Philippines, especially in Barangay Pacso, Kabayan). Kabayan is home to Ibaloi Bendian festival where the 15th Eco-Tourism and Bindiyan Festival-Bendian dance 2024 was held in May 1. Kabayan mummies sites are the Opdas Mass Burial Cave, Tinongchol Burial Rock, Timbac Burial Rock Shelter, Pongasan and Kangal and Kabayan Museum.[38][39]
The Kabayan 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.[40]
As of 2014, Kabayan has 22publicelementary schools and 3 publicsecondary schools.[41][42][43]
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Places adjacent to Kabayan, Benguet | |
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 Province ofBenguet | |
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| Municipalities | |
| Highly urbanized city |
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| Barangays | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
