History https://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Benguet
https://www.philatlas.com/luzon/car/benguet.html
The mountainous area now covered by Benguet is generally presumed to have been settled from at
least the 14th century by tribes coming from the surrounding lowlands, lured by the abundance of
natural resources such as gold, hides, and wax. Two of these groups, the Ibaloi and the Kankanaey,
are dominant ethnolinguistic groups of the area. In the pre-conquest period, these tribes enjoyed
flourishing trade with lowland groups immediately to their west and south, such as the Pangasinans.
Governor Juan "Oraa" Cariño (1913-1918) one of the governors of Benguet, was the first Filipino to
be a governor.
The Kankanay occupied the north ern highlands of the province, while the Ibaloy occupied the
southern portion, while all Igorots animism and ancestor worship. Rituals were proscribed by the
priests, mambunong. The economy of the region was based on rice terraces, root crop swidden
farming, livestock raising, hunting, foraging, plus the mining and trading of gold. These Igorot gold
mines were located in Suyoc, Tabio, Acupan, and Antamok. Gold panning took place in placer
deposits along the Agno River, the Bued River, the Suyoc River, and the Amburayan River. Gold
was also mined from lode veins within andesite and diorite. Gold in Mankayan was associated with
copper. Gold mining resulted in social stratification, with the upper class consisting of the mine
owners, the baknang, followed by the gold workers, or abiteg, and then the bagaen, or slave class.
These slaves were made up of war captives, and their children. Gold mines were inheritable kinship
property, while original ownership was bestowed on those individuals discovering the gold location,
and then developing the property.
Spanish period
At the beginning of the Spanish Era, colonisers heard of the rich gold mines in the mountains and
attempted to colonize the highlands, but failed. In 1572, Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo led
a small expedition into the southern part of Benguet, but the natives forced it to retreat The first
major expedition into the mountains occurred in 1620, when Spanish explorers went into the La
Trinidad Valley, followed by a second expedition in 1623, and a third in 1624. This was the last
attempt to occupy the Baguio gold mines by the Spanish until the Galvey expeditions (1829-1839).
In the 1800s, Spanish colonizers made more serious attempts such as expeditions under Col.
Guillermo Galvey
and succeeded in establishing a presence in the La Trinidad Valley, named after Galvey's wife.
This area later became a district of the new province of La Montañosa (or La Montaña) in 1846.
Eight years later, in 1854, Benguet became a separate comandancia politico-militar. Parts of the
present province were established as component territories of other comandancias such as Lepanto
and Amburayan.
American period
When the Americans took control of the Philippines, they established local civil governments in many
parts of the country. American civilian government was established in Benguet on November 23,
1900, through Act No. 48, with Canadian journalist H.P. Whitmarsh appointed as the province's first
governor.
POLITICAL HISTORY: THE EARLY BEGINNINGS
During the Philippine revolution of 1898 against Spain led by General Emilio Aguinaldo and
Andres Bonifacio, the Benguet people rallied forth under the leadership of Juan Oraa Carino, Mateo
Carantes, Magastino Laruan and Piraso. Benguet was established as a Province in 1899 under the
First Philip pine Republic with Juan Oraa “Ahino” Carino appointed as Governor and Presi dent of
the Board. The seat of the provincial government was in Tuel, Tublay. One of the bastions of the
First Philippine Republic was in Benguet where the President of the Philippine Congress, Mr.
Vicente Patemo, Sr. took refuge and protection.
During the American Period, first Civil Government was established in Benguet on November 23,
1900 under Act 49 with H.P. Whitmarsh, a journalist by profes- sion, appointed as Civil Governor.
The rancherias under the Distrito de Benguet were termed town ships. Baguio was named the
capital of Benguet. On September 1, 1909, Benguets capital town, Baguio was established as a
chartered city and its stead, the township of Tuba, was created. Baguio remained the capital of
Benguet until 1916. After 1916, La Trinidad became the capital of Benguet.
On August 13, 1908 under Act 1876, Mountain Province was created consolidating the then
Province of Benguet, the Commandancia of Quiangan, the sub-province of Kalinga and Apayao, the
province of Lepanto-Bontoc and the sub-province of Amburayan. Benguet became a sub-province of
Mountain Prov ince headed by a deputy governor. On Februaiy 4, 1920 under Act 2877, the sub-
province of Lepanto and Amburayan were abolished. The territories of Lepanto and Amburayan
were divided and placed under the provinces of Ilocos Sur, La Union and the sub-provinces of
Benguet and Bontoc. With Act 2877 and executive orders issued by the Governor General, the
nineteen original townships of Benguet were consolidated into 13 namely: Atok, Bakun, Bokod,
Buguias, Itogon, La Trinidad, Kabayan, Kibungan, Kapangan, Mankayan, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay.
The 13 townships were now termed munici- palities. This number as well as the boundaries defined
under the act and executive orders have remained so.
From 1920 to 1966, Benguet remained a sub-province of Mountain Province with other sub-
provinces of Bontoc, Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao.
On June 18, 1966 by virtue of Republic Act 4695 Mountain Province was divided into four
provinces namely Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao. Once-again, Benguet
became a distinct and regular province.
