Benguet

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Benguet Province
Basic data
Region : Cordillera administrative region
Capital : La Trinidad
Population : 446.224
August 1, 2015 census
Population density : 172 inhabitants per km²
Area : 2,599.4  km²
PSGC : 141100000
Official website: http://www.benguet.gov.ph/
structure
 - Highly urbanized cities
 - provincial cities 1
 - municipalities 13
 - Barangays 140
 - electoral districts
map

Coordinates: 16 ° 30 ′  N , 120 ° 42 ′  E Benguet is a province of the Philippines in the administrative region of Cordillera on the main island of Luzon . The provincial capital is La Trinidad . The province lies in the highest sector of the Philippine Cordilleras .

geography

Benguet is bordered by Pangasinan Province to the south and then, clockwise, by La Union , Ilocos Sur , Mountain Province , Ifugao , and Nueva Vizcaya .

Benguet itself is divided into 13 municipalities, Baguio City is also within the provincial borders, but is not officially part of the province, even if the city is always added to Benguet in statistics. In the northeast, parts of Mount Data National Park are in the province.

The municipalities are:

history

In the pre-Hispanic times, the mountains in what is now Benguet were inhabited by different tribes who are grouped together under the name of Igorot . Two of these tribes, the Ibaloi and the Kankana-ey , were dominant. Filipino anthropologists believe that most of these tribes are of Malay origin . The inhabitants operated a flourishing trade with the tribes of the lowlands such as the Ilocos and the Pangasinan .

In 1572 the Spaniard Juan de Salcedo led a small expedition to southern Benguet, they planned to colonize the mountainous regions, as they had heard of rich gold deposits in this region. The expedition was driven out by the tribes, however, only in 1620 a larger expedition succeeded in bringing some gold mines near La Trinidad under Spanish control, but these mines were also abandoned after only a few years.

In the 19th century the Spaniards tried more seriously to bring the highlands of Benguet under their control, first an expedition under Guillermo Galvey succeeded in permanently controlling the valley around La Trinidad, which he named after his wife. In 1846 this district was declared the new province of La Union , but eight years later it again had its own comandancia politico-militar .

When the United States took control of the Philippines, a civil government was established in Benguet on November 23, 1900. A Canadian journalist became the first governor of Benguet. On August 18, 1908, the neighboring Mountain Province was established and Benguet became a sub-province of this new province.

In the 1930s, mining companies began exploiting the gold reserves in Benguet. During the Second World War there was fighting between Americans along with Filipino guerrillas and Japanese in the region. On July 15, 1987, the Cordillera Administrative Region was founded and Benguet became an independent full province again.

Kabayan mummies

Benguet is the center of the "Ibaloi culture", which is known for its colorful costumes and especially for the " Kabayan mummies ". A small museum in Kabayan Municipality exhibits artifacts, costumes and examples of the "Kabayan mummies".

Web links