Benguet
Benguet is a Philippine province in the Cordillera Administrative Region on the main island of Luzon. The provincial capital is La Trinidad. The province is located in the highest sector of the Philippine Cordilleras.
Geography
Benguet borders the province of Pangasinan in the south and moving clockwise to La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya.
Benguet itself is divided into 13 municipalities, including Baguio City is within the provincial boundaries, but is not officially part of the province, even if the city in statistics always Benguet is slammed. In the north- east are part of the Mount Data National Park on the territory of the province.
The municipalities are:
- Atok
- Bakun
- Bokod
- Buguias
- Itogon
- Kabayan
- Kapangan
- Kibungan
- La Trinidad
- Mankayan
- Sablan
- Tuba
- Tublay
History
During the pre- Hispanic period, the mountains in Benguet today were inhabited by various tribes, which are grouped together under the name Igorot. Two of these strains, the Ibaloi and the Kankana -ey were, thereby dominating. Philippine anthropologists assume that most of these strains are malaiischnen origin. Residents operated a thriving trade with the tribes of the lowlands such as the Ilocos and Pangasinan to.
In 1572, the Spaniard Juan de Salcedo led a small expedition into southern Benguet, they had to colonize before the mountainous regions because they had heard of rich gold deposits in this region. The expedition but was driven by the tribes, only 1620 managed a larger expedition some gold mines in La Trinidad to bring under Spanish control, but these mines were abandoned after only a few years.
In the 19th century, the Spaniards tried seriously the highlands of Benguet to bring under their control, first succeeded in an expedition led by Guillermo Galvey to permanently control the valley of La Trinidad, which he named after his wife. In 1846 this district was declared the new province of La Union, but only eight years later a politico - militar own Comandancia.
When the United States took control of the Philippines, a civil government was established in Benguet on 23 November 1900. A Canadian journalist was the first governor of Benguet. The neighboring Mountain Province was established on 18 August 1908 and then became a sub-province of Benguet this new province.
In the 1930s, mining companies began to exploit gold reserves in Benguet. During the Second World War there were in the region battles between Americans together with Filipino guerrillas and Japanese. On 15 July 1987, the Cordillera Administrative Region was established and Benguet was again an independent full province.
Kabayan mummies
Benguet is the center of " Ibaloi culture", which is famous for its colorful costumes and especially by the " Kabayan mummies ". In a small museum in the town of Kabayan artifacts, costumes and examples of which are " Kabayan mummies " issued.