History
Benguet, together with Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province comprise the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in Northern Luzon. It has a Mountainous terrain of peaks, ridges, and canyons; and a temperate and gen erally pleasant climate.
Benguet lies southernmost in the Cordillera Administrative Region. It is geographically located between 16’33” north latitude and 120’34” to 120’52” east longitude. On the north, it is bounded by Mountain Province, on the south by Pangasinan, on the east by Ifugoa and Nueva Viscaya and on the west by La Union and Ilocos Sur.
The province comprises one (1) congressional district, two (2) provincial board district, thirteen (13) municipalities and one hundred forty (140) barangays. It has three major ethnolinguistic groups: the Kankanaeys, Ibalois and Kalanguya and other minor groups with distinct cultures and histories of their own.
PLACES
Mt. Pulag National Park lies on the north and south spine of the Grand Cordillera Central that stretches from Pasaleng, Ilocos Norte to the Cordillera Provinces. It falls within the administrative jurisdiction of two (2) Regions: Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Cagayan Valley (R2).
The summit of Mt. Pulag is covered with grass and dwarf bamboo plants. At lower elevations, the mountainside has a mossy forest veiled with fog, and full of ferns, lichens and moss. Below this is the pine forest growing on barren, rocky slopes. Falls, rivers and small lakes mark the area.
The 'mother of all parks' in Baguio city, the summer capital of the Philippines, is a 32.84-hectare park designed by, and named after, American architect and urban planner Daniel Hudson Burnham, who also designed the original plan for Baguio City as well as Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard) in Manila. The park has 12 main areas, the most popular of which are the Burnham Lagoon, a man-made lake with rowboats for hire; a children's playground; a skating rink; the Rose Garden and the Picnic Grove.
Baguio City Igorot Stone Kingdom is the newest tourist attraction in the City of Pines. Tucked away from the central business district is a man-made park made out of stone which was based on a fantasy kingd0m and the rich cultural heritage of Igorots and the different provinces here in the Cordilleras. Atop a mountain, you will find structures made out of stone that depict different symbols known to Igorot history and culture. Mr. Pio Velasco, the owner of the park, built the Stone Kingdom as a tribute to his mother Rita “Rosing” Gal Velasco’s loving memory who he described as a strong Igorota woman who taught them patience and strength.