Mountain Province | |
|---|---|
 .jpg)  .jpg) .jpg)  (from top: left to right) Maligcong Rice Terraces inBontoc,Bontoc,Chico River,Sagada rice terraces,Sagada andChico River in Bontoc. | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location in the Philippines | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
| Coordinates:17°05′N121°10′E / 17.08°N 121.17°E /17.08; 121.17 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Cordillera Administrative Region |
| Founded | August 18, 1908 |
| Reorganized | June 18, 1966 |
| Capital | Bontoc |
| Largest Municipality | Bauko |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlalawigan |
| • Governor | Bonifacio C. Lacwasan Jr. (PFP) |
| • Vice Governor | Jose O. Dominguez (Independent) |
| • Representative | Maximo Y. Dalug Jr. (NP) |
| • Legislature | Mountain Province Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,157.38 km2 (832.97 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 58th out of 81 |
| Highest elevation | 2,702 m (8,865 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[2] | |
• Total | 149,775 |
| • Rank | 76th out of 81 |
| • Density | 69.4245/km2 (179.809/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 75th out of 81 |
| Demonym |
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| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | 0 |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 144 |
| • Districts | Legislative district of Mountain Province |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PHT) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)74 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-MOU |
| Spoken languages | |
| Website | mountainprovince |
Mountain Province (Bontok:Probinsiya nan Bilig;Balangao:Probinsiya hen Bilig;Kankanaey:Probinsiya di Dontog;Ilocano:Probinsia ti Bantay;Filipino:Lalawigan ng Mountain Province;Spanish:Provincia Montañosa) is a landlockedprovince of thePhilippines in theCordillera Administrative Region inLuzon. Its capital isBontoc whileBauko is the largest municipality. Mountain Province was formerly referred to asMountain in some foreign references. The name is usually shortened by locals toMt. Province.
The province was named so for being in theCordillera Central mountain range found in the upper realms of Luzon island.
Mountain Province was also the name of the historical province that included most of the current Cordillera provinces. This old province was established by thePhilippine Commission in 1908,[3][4][5] and was later split in 1966 into Mountain Province,Benguet,Kalinga-Apayao andIfugao.[6][7][8]
The province is also known for its mummy caves, which contain naturally mummified bodies, and for itshanging coffins.[6]
The area of theCordillera mountains proved difficult to control by the Spaniards. During the long Spanish rule, not much was done to bring the province under control. From 1566 to 1665, they sent expeditions to conquer the land but the rugged terrain and hostile indigenous population at the time were major obstacles to complete subjugation.[9] The first serious effort to subjugate them was made in 1785 when soldiers were sent from Cagayan to put down a revolt of the Kalingas. A famous Spanish explorer, Guillermo Galvez, conducted more than 40 forays to the mountainous region.[10]
Formerly calledLa Montañosa by the Spanish colonizers due to its mountainous terrain,[6][11] the area was subdivided into 6comandancias politico-militar.[12]
| Comandancia | Year established | Comandancia | Year established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benguet | 1846 | Amburayan | 1889 |
| Lepanto | 1852 | Kayapa | 1891 |
| Bontoc | 1859 | Cabugaoan | 1891 |
On August 19, 1908, during theAmerican rule, thePhilippine Commission enactedAct No. 1876, which organized the entire area of the Cordilleras into one large province, namedMountain Province.[3][5][6][13]
The first governor was Samuel Kane, and thetown of Bontoc was made the capital. It was originally composed of the sub-provinces ofAmburayan,Apayao,Benguet,Lepanto-Bontoc,Ifugao andKalinga.[5][11]Amburayan was later abolished in 1920 and its corresponding territories were transferred to the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union. Lepanto was also reduced in size and its towns were integrated into the sub-provinces of Bontoc and Benguet, and to the province of Ilocos Sur.[9][14][15]
| Sub-province | Abolished? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amburayan | Yes, in 1920 | Territories annexed toIlocos Sur,La Union, and Benguet[5][15] |
| Apayao | No | |
| Benguet | No | Eastern towns annexed to Ilocos Sur and La Union in 1920[15] |
| Ifugao | No | |
| Kalinga | No | |
| Lepanto-Bontoc | Yes, in 1920 | Territories annexed to Ilocos Sur, La Union, Bontoc, and Benguet[5][15] |
Effective on April 7, 1967,Republic Act No. 4695 abolished the old Mountain Province, converting its sub-provinces into 4 independent provinces:Benguet,Ifugao,Kalinga-Apayao and Mountain Province (corresponding to the formerBontoc sub-province).[6]Bontoc became the capital of the new Mountain Province.[8][11]
Mountain Province would have been significantly affected by theChico River Dam Project during theMarcos administration, as the Marcos regime's project would have flooded the municipalities ofSabangan,Sagada,Sadanga,Bontoc,Bauko, and parts ofBarlig.[16] However, the indigenous peoples ofKalinga Province and Mountain Province resisted the project and when hostilities resulted in the murder ofMacli-ing Dulag, the project became unpopular and was abandoned before Marcos was ousted by the 1986People Power Revolution.[17]
On June 15, 1987, theCordillera Administrative Region was established upon the issuance ofExecutive Order 220 by then-PresidentCorazon Aquino, and Mountain Province was made one of its provinces.[9][18][19]
ThroughPresidential Proclamation 682, October 4, 2024 was declared aspecial non-working day to commemorate the ProvincialIndigenous People’s Day.[20]
Mountain Province covers a total area of 2,157.38 square kilometers (832.97 sq mi)[21] occupying the central section of theCordillera Administrative Region inLuzon. The province is bordered on the north byKalinga, east byIsabela, south byIfugao, southwest byBenguet, west byIlocos Sur, and northwest byAbra.
Situated within theCordillera Central, Mountain Province is 83% mountainous while 17% make up hills and levels. The province has many rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and caves. The central and western areas of the province are characterized by rugged mountains and steep cliffs, while the eastern portion has generally sloping terrain.[6][11]
Mountain Province comprises tenmunicipalities, all encompassed by alone legislative district.[21]
Mountain Province has 144barangays comprising its 10 municipalities.[23]
As of 2010, the most populous barangay in the province is Poblacion in the municipality ofParacelis, with a total of 5,687 inhabitants. Balintaugan in the municipality ofBauko has the least population with only 144.[23]
The population of Mountain Province in the 2020 census was 158,200 people,[2] with a density of 73 inhabitants per square kilometre or 190 inhabitants per square mile.
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| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[22][23][24] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethnicity | Number | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankanaey | 72,694 (51.80%) | |||
| Balangao / Baliwon | 18,886 (13.46%) | |||
| Bontoc | 17,234 (12.28%) | |||
| Ilocano | 6,968 (4.97%) | |||
| Applai | 2,947 (2.10%) | |||
| Binontok | 2,510 (1.79%) | |||
| Kalinga | 2,468 (1.76%) | |||
| Other local ethnicity | 16,197 (11.54%) | |||
| Other foreign ethnicity | 22 (0.02%) | |||
| Not Reported | 413 (0.29%) | |||
Based on the 2000 census survey,Kankana-ey comprised51.8% (72,694) of the total provincial population of 140,339.Balangao/Baliwon came in second at13.46% (18,886), andBontoc at12.28% (17,234). Other ethnicities were theIlocano at4.97% (6,968),Applai at2.1% (2,947),Binontok at1.79% (2,510), andKalinga at1.76% (2,468).[25]
The main languages of Mountain Province areKankanaey andBontoc.Ilocano is used as a lingua franca in the province and is widely spoken and understood by the residents.
Anglicanism predominates in the province with approximately 60% adherence to other religions such as Roman Catholicism.[citation needed]
Other groups include Members Church of God International (MCGI), Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Iglesia Filipina Indepiendente, Iglesia ni Cristo has 3% of the Listing Members in the province and Free Believers in Christ Fellowship. Mountain Province is the only predominantly Protestant province in the Philippines.
Poverty incidence of Mountain Province
10 20 30 40 50 60 2000 12.28 2003 57.00 2006 44.07 2009 52.16 2012 37.63 2015 44.70 2018 24.58 2021 15.30 Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] |
The province has severalrice terraces in seven of its different towns:[11]
The mountainous province also offers excellent mountain climbing experiences with two of its mountains among the top 10 highest points in the Philippines:
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Benguet was once part of Mountain Province.
Media related toMountain Province at Wikimedia Commons
Geographic data related toMountain Province atOpenStreetMapArticles related to Mountain Province | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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