Mountain Province

Mountain Province (Filipino: Lalawigang Bulubundukin), is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc.

Mountain Province is sometimes incorrectly named Mountain in some foreign references. The name is also incorrectly shortened by locals to Mt. Province, which in turn is read by native Anglophones as "Mount Province". The province was named so for being in the Cordillera 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 the Philippine Commission in 1908,^[2][3][4] and was later split in 1966 into Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga-Apayao and Ifugao.^[5][6][7]

The province is also known for its mummy caves, which contain naturally mummified bodies, and for its hanging coffins.^[5]

History

Spanish Period

The area of the Cordillera mountains proved difficult to control by the Spaniards. 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.^[8]

Formerly called La Montañosa by the Spanish colonizers due to its mountainous terrain,^[5][9] the area was subdivided into 6 comandancias politico-militar.^[10]

American Period

In August 19, 1908, during the

Administrative divisions of the Philippines Capital Manila (National Capital Region) Island groups Luzon Visayas Mindanao Regions Administrative I – Ilocos region II – Cagayan Valley III – Central Luzon IV-A – CALABARZON IV-B – MIMAROPA V – Bicol region VI – Western Visayas VII – Central Visayas VIII – Eastern Visayas IX – Zamboanga Peninsula X – Northern Mindanao XI – Davao region XII – SOCCSKSARGEN XIII – Caraga CAR – Cordillera Administrative Region NCR – National Capital Region NIR – Negros Island Region Autonomous Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Provinces Abra Agusan del Norte Agusan del Sur Aklan Albay Antique Apayao Aurora Basilan Bataan Batanes Batangas Benguet Biliran Bohol Bukidnon Bulacan Cagayan Camarines Norte Camarines Sur Camiguin Capiz Catanduanes Cavite Cebu Compostela Valley Cotabato Davao del Norte Davao del Sur Davao Occidental Davao Oriental Dinagat Islands Eastern Samar Guimaras Ifugao Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur Iloilo Isabela Kalinga La Union Laguna Lanao del Norte Lanao del Sur Leyte Maguindanao Marinduque Masbate Misamis Occidental Misamis Oriental Mountain Province Negros Occidental Negros Oriental Northern Samar Nueva Ecija Nueva Vizcaya Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Palawan Pampanga Pangasinan Quezon Quirino Rizal Romblon Samar Sarangani Siquijor Sorsogon South Cotabato Southern Leyte Sultan Kudarat Sulu Surigao del Norte Surigao del Sur Tarlac Tawi-Tawi Zambales Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Sur Zamboanga Sibugay Other subdivisions List of primary LGUs Legislative districts Metropolitan areas Cities Municipalities Barangays (by province) Poblacion Puroks Sitios Historical Formally proposed provinces

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Regional Center Baguio Provinces Abra Apayao Benguet Ifugao Kalinga Mountain Province Metropolitan Area Metro Baguio Highly Urbanized City Baguio Component City Tabuk Bangued Bontoc Kabugao (de jure) La Trinidad Lagawe Luna (de facto) Tabuk Municipalities Aguinaldo Alfonso Lista Asipulo Atok Bakun Balbalan Banaue Bangued Barlig Bauko Besao Bokod Boliney Bontoc Bucay Bucloc Buguias Calanasan Conner Daguioman Danglas Dolores Flora Hingyon Hungduan Itogon Kabayan Kabugao Kapangan Kiangan Kibungan La Paz La Trinidad Lacub Lagangilang Lagawe Lagayan Lamut Langiden Licuan-Baay Luba Lubuagan Luna Malibcong Manabo Mankayan Mayoyao Natonin Paracelis Pasil Peñarrubia Pidigan Pilar Pinukpuk Pudtol Rizal Sabangan Sablan Sadanga Sagada Sallapadan San Isidro San Juan San Quintin Santa Marcela Tadian Tanudan Tayum Tineg Tinglayan Tinoc Tuba Tublay Tubo Villaviciosa Luzon, Republic of the Philippines

Mountain Province Bontoc (capital) Municipalities Barlig Bauko Besao Bontoc Natonin Paracelis Sabangan Sadanga Sagada Tadian Barangays See: List of barangays in Mountain Province

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information

External links

References

• 2001–2004 Sario M. Malinias
• 2004–2010 Maximo B. Dalog
• 2010–2016 Leonard G. Mayaen

List of former governors:

Government

Opposite the rice terraces, the eastern side of low mountains and hills of Paracelis, boasts of rolling terrains of cornfields with good viewing decks on roadside.

• Kapayawan Rice Terraces - Bauko
• Bangen Rice Terraces - Bauko
• Besao Rice Terraces - Besao
• Bucas Rice Terraces - Besao
• Maligcong Rice Terraces - Bontoc
• Bayyo Rice Terraces - Bontoc
• Bontoc Poblacion Rice Terraces - Bontoc
• Dalican Rice Terraces - Bontoc
• Kiltepan Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Tanulong Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Suyo Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Bulongan Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Bangaan Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Ambasing Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Fidelisan Rice Terraces - Sagada
• Sadanga Rice Terraces - Sadanga
• Focong Rice Terraces - Sadanga
• Natonin Rice Terraces - Natonin
• Barlig Rice Terraces - Barlig

The province has several rice terraces in its different towns:^[9]

Sagada rice terraces

Tourism

Roman Catholicism predominates in the province with approximately 60% adherence. In 2014, The Vicariate Apostolic of Bontok and Lagawe recorded a 61.5% Roman Catholic adherence. Like the neighboring province of Ifugao, the most significant religion other than Roman Catholicism is the Aglipayan Church while many people are still professing indigenous beliefs.

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Religion

Based on the 2000 census survey, 52% of the population are Kankana-ey. Other ethnic groups living in the province are the Balangao 13.6%, Ibontoc 12%, and other ethnicity comprise about 21.6% of the province's population.^[20]

Demographics

As of 2010, the most populous barangay in the province is Poblacion in the municipality of Paracelis, with a total of 5,687 inhabitants. Balintaugan in the municipality of Bauko has the least population with only 144.^[17]

Mountain Province has 144 barangays comprising its 10 municipalities.^[17]

Barangays

Seal	Municipality	Land area (km2)[16]	Population (2010)[17]	Pop. density (per km2)	No. of barangays	ZIP code	Income class[16]	Location
	Barlig	228.64	5,838	25.5	11	2623	5th
	Bauko	153	30,172	197.2	22	2621	4th
	Besao	173.62	7,818	45	14	2618	5th
	Bontoc †	396.1	23,980	60.5	16	2616	2nd
	Natonin	252	10,048	39.9	11	2624	4th
	Paracelis	570.16	26,476	46.4	9	2625	2nd
	Sabangan	72.04	8,741	121.3	15	2622	5th
	Sadanga	83.3	9,181	110.2	8	2617	5th
	Sagada	83.32	11,244	134.9	19	2619	5th
	Tadian	145.2	20,689	142.5	19	2620	4th
	Mountain Province Total	2157.38	154,187	71.5	144	2616 - 2625	4th[1]

Political map of Mountain Province

Mountain Province is subdivided into ten municipalities, all of which belong to a lone legislative district.^[16]

Administrative

It has an area of 215,738 hectares (533,100 acres),^[1] with 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.^[5][9]

Mountain Province is bounded in the east by Isabela, in the north by the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, and Abra, in the south of Benguet and Ifugao, and in the west by the province of Ilocos Sur.

Geography

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 former Bontoc sub-province).^[5][7][9] On June 15, 1987, the Cordillera Administrative Region was established upon the issuance of Executive Order 220 by then-President Corazon Aquino, and Mountain Province was made one of its provinces.^{[8] [14][15]}

Post-war era

An old map showing
the province and its original boundaries

^{[13] [12][8]} 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][4], Apayao, Benguet, Lepanto-Bontoc, Ifugao and Kalinga.Amburayan was made the capital. It was originally composed of the sub-provinces of town of Bontoc The first governor was Samuel Cane, and the ^[11][5][4][2]