Benguet - Salad Bowl Of The Philippines

Brief Description
Benguet is the roof of Northern Luzon. It straddles on the Cordillera mountain ranges. Mt. Pulag, second highest mountain in the Philippines, and Halsema Highway, the highest mountain highway system in the country, are located in Benguet. Today it holds claim as the “Salad Bowl of the Philippines” because of the huge production of upland vegetables.

Geography
Benguet lies in the southernmost part of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Pangasinan bounds it on the south, Ifugao and Nueva Viscaya on the east, Mountain Province on the north, and La Union and Ilocos Sur on the west. The province has a total land area of 261,648 hectares. It is located between 16'33" north latitude and 120'34" to 125'52" east longitude. Its capital, La Trinidad, is 256 kilometers north of Manila and 6 kilometers north of Baguio City.

Political Subdivision
Benguet has 13 municipalities with a total of 140 barangays.

Climate
Benguet belongs under the Type 1 climate, with the wet season from May to October and the dry season during the rest of the year. The average daily temperature is 18.55° Celsius

Population
Benguet has a total population of 322,000 as of year 2000.

Language / Dialect
The two prominent dialects spoken in the province are Kankana-ey and Ibaloi. Others speak Kalanguya, Karao, and Iowak. The majority speak fluent English

Major Industries
Agriculture, small and large scale mining, gold panning, silver craft/ brass wares, gift and toy making, strawberry production, livestock and poultry, tiger grass broom making production.

Rural industries include silver craft / brass wares, woodcraft, loom weaving, handmade paper decors and novelty items, garment knitting; agricultures and fruit vegetable processing such as strawberry jams, fruit jellies, candies, and preserves.

Kalinga - Whitewater Rafting Capital Of The North

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
A glance of the Philippine map will easily reveal the similarity of the physiography of Kalinga to that of a bust of a man akin to former President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The province’s geographic feature is charcterized in the western portion by sharp crested interlinking peaks of the steep slope, isolated flat lands, plateaus, and valleys. The eastern portion has generally rolling, gradually sloping foothills. With interlocking wide tracks of flat lands and flood plains along its main drainage system, this rare geography interposes a great role expected of the province in national development pursuits.

GEOGRAPHY
Kalinga is nestled on an elevation of 300 to 5,000 feet above sea level with a northsouth assemblage of mountain ranges within the Cordillera Central. It has been dubbed as the “Prince of the Highlands” in the Philippines.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
The province is composed of eight (8) municipalities: Balbalan, Lubuagan, Pasil, Pinukpuk, Rizal, Tabuk, Tanudan, and Tinglayan.

CLIMATE
The prevailing climate falls under the Type III classification of the Weather Bureau. The relatively dry season occurs from November to April while the rest of the year is generally wet. Heaviest rain occurs during September, with an average rainfall of 2,000 mm. Typhoons frequently occur from July to October.

POPULATION
Kalinga has a total population of 154,145 based on the latest census.

LANGUAGE
Ilokano is the dominant dialect spoken in the lower parts of Kalinga, specifically in the municipalities of Tabuk and Rizal. The Kalinga dialect is spoken in other municipalities. Filipino and English are widely understood in all parts.

INDUSTRIES
Loomweaving, rattan basketry, and banana chips processing in Tabuk; animal feeds prodcution n in Rizal; rattan furniture in Conner and Luna; gold jewelry manufacturing and coffee pre-processing in Tabuk, also the trading center.

Apayao - Cordillera's Last Nature Frontier

DESCRIPTION
The province of Apayao boasts its own collection of natural wonders that are otherwise not found in the rest of the Cordilleras. Little wonder that it has been dubbed as “Cordillera’s Last Frontier for Nature Richness.” Here, underground rivers, majestic waterfalls, magnificent lakes hug a unique land that is replete with captivating caves, picture-pretty parks, and exotic wildlife.

Delve deep into underwater splendor being offered by Malabisin Lake and Underground River as well as Waton Subterranean River. Come up the surface to gape at fish and wildlife, which are highly visible in the unpolluted waters of Apayao River. And do stop to admire the myriad of picturesque waterfalls of varying sizes that are found along the river.

Commune with nature and marvel at wondrous sights at the Agamata, Agora, and Anag-Sicapo wildlife sanctuaries. Scale the heights of Mount Solo, the highest peak in Apayao. Stumble into untold discoveries at Purit, Anganupan, Nalvo, and countless other caves that make Apayao a whole lot more than simply interesting.

GEOGRAPHY
The province of Apayao is located at the northernmost tip of the Luzon mainland. It is bounded on the east by the province of Cagayan, on the west by Ilocos Norte and Abra, and on the south by Kalinga. Total land area is 392,790 hectares or 21% of the total land area of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)

POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
Apayao is made up of seven municipalities with 131 barangays

POPULATION
Total population was at 74,720 as of 1995, showing a 1.34% increase from the 1990 population at 74,004. The Isnegs are the dominant ethnic group

LANGUAGE/DIALECT
Ilocano is the dominant dialect spoken by almost half of the province's 26,812 households, followed by Isneg and Tagalog.

CLIMATE
The prevailing climate in the province falls under Corona's Type III Classification. It is characterized by relatively dry and wet seasons, from November to April, and wet during the rest of the year. Heaviest rain occurs during December to February while the month of May is the warmest

INDUSTRIES
Updated records of the Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Office reveal that existing industries in the province are furniture, garment craft, food processing, gifts and house wares, and agricultural support.

Mountain Province - Weaver's Paradise

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Mountain Province is known as the “Weaver’s Paradise” due to the presence of various weaving centers sporting different designs that bespeak of the province’s cultural heritage. This was a province that practiced the traditional parliamentary/participatory form of governance as evidenced by the presence of the Dap-ay/Ato, a traditional form of governance led by the respected elders in the community.

GEOGRAPHY
Mountain Province is bounded by Isabela on the east; the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, and Abra on the north; the provinces of Benguet and Ifugao on the south; and the province of Ilocos Sur on the west. It has an area of 229,231 hectares where 83% is mountainous while 17% make up hills and levels. It is a province of rivers, falls, mountains, and caves.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
Mountain Province is composed of ten municipalities, namely: Bontoc, Barlig, Bauko, Besao, Natonin, Paracelis, Sabangan, Sadanga, Sagada, and Tadian, with Bontoc as the capital town. There are 144 barangays comprising the 10 municipalities

POPULATION
Mountain Province is home to 140,439 people (NSO 2000 census) with mostly Bontoks occupying the central and northern parts, Kankanaeys occupying the western part, and Balangaos on the eastern areas.

LANGUAGE/DIALECT
Kankanaey is the major dialect spoken although English, Ilocano, and Tagalog are also widely spoken.

CLIMATE
The province has two seasons - dry from November to April and wet for the rest of the year

MAJOR INDUSTRIES
The furniture industry is a growing venture in the province. Fixtures and furniture are made from raw materials like pinewood, bamboo, and steel. Bamboo and rattan basketry is presently diversifying due to product development. Backstrap weaving, an age-old handicraft, expanded to the use of loom. Colorful costumes are now designed for product lines like bags, purses, tapestry, ethnic costumes, blankets, linen, and fashion accessories

Ifugao - Land Of The Eighth World Wonder

Brief Description
Ifugao is home to a thriving ancient culture and host to the famous rice terraces carved from the base of the mountainsides to the top, which appear to be massive green stairways reaching to the sky. The famous terraces had been inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1995 as “a continuing cultural landscape” and likewise considered by the U.S. Association of Civil Engineers as an engineering marvel built by unschooled and free men not of slave labor.

It was a credit to the inherent wisdom of the Ifugao forefathers that a forest and watershed management system was instituted to help sustain the terraces that serve as the basic food source of the sturdy Ifugaos.

The Ifugao native huts could probably be among the world’s first prefabricated houses that do not use a single nail or metal to fasten their parts.

Geography
Ifugao, a land-locked area located at the foot of the Cordillera Mountain Range, is bounded on the west by the province of Benguet, Nueva Viscaya on the south, Isabela on the east, and on the north by Mountain Province, with a total land area of 251,778 hectares. It is 322 kilometers north of Manila.

Political Subdivision
As of 1988, the province is politically sub-divided into 11 municipalities and 178 barangays, with Lagawe serving as the provincial capital town.

Climate
The climate of the province is described as having the dry season from November to April and the rainy season during the rest of the year. The hottest months are March and April while the coolest months are November up to February.

Population
NSO 2000 census data indicated that Ifugao has a total population of 161,634

Language / Dialect
The English language is widely spoken and understood among the populace, second to its mother tongue which is the Ifugao dialect, and followed by the Ilocano dialect and then Tagalog

Major Industries
Farming; trading industry (gift, toys & house wares); services; manufacturing (garments & textiles); and food & beverages