Mountain Province

Mountain Province Lalawigang Bulubundukin
Province
{{#property:P41}} Flag {{#property:P158}} Seal
{{#property:P242}} Location in the Philippines
Coordinates:
Country	[[{{#property:P17}}]]
Region	[[{{#property:P131}}]] (CAR)
Founded	1908
Capital	Bontoc
Government
• Governor	Leonard Mayaen (Independent)
• Vice Governor	Boni Lacwasan (Independent)
Area
• Total	2,157.38 km2 (832.97 sq mi)
Area rank	58th out of 81
Population ()
• Total	{{#property:P1,082}}
• Rank	76th out of 81
• Density rank	75th out of 81
Divisions
• Independent cities	0
• Component cities	0
• Municipalities	10
• Barangays	144
• Districts	Lone district of Mountain Province
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP code	2616 to 2625
Dialing code	{{#property:P473}}
ISO 3166 code	{{#property:P300}}
Spoken languages	Ilocano, Bontoc, Kankana-ey, Pangasinan, Tagalog, English
Website	{{#property:P856}}

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 was formerly referred to as 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, and was later split in 1966 into Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga-Apayao and Ifugao.

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

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.

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

The 6 former Comandancias Politico-Militar of La Montañosa

Comandancia	Year established	Comandancia	Year established
Benguet	1846	Amburayan	1889
Lepanto	1852	Kayapa	1891
Bontoc	1859	Cabugaoan	1891

American period

In August 19, 1908, during the American rule, the Philippine Commission enacted Act No. 1876, which organized the entire area of the Cordilleras into one large province, named Mountain Province. The first governor was Samuel Cane, and the town of Bontoc was made the capital. It was originally composed of the sub-provinces of Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet, Lepanto-Bontoc, Ifugao and Kalinga.

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.

• 

  The province in 1918

• 

  Bontoc subprovince

Historical sub-provinces of Mountain Province under Act No. 1876

Sub-province	Abolished?	Notes	Sub-province	Abolished?	Notes
Amburayan	Yes, in 1920	Territories annexed to Ilocos Sur and La Union	Ifugao	No
Apayao	No		Kalinga	No
Benguet	No	Eastern towns annexed to Ilocos Sur and La Union in 1920	Lepanto-Bontoc	Yes, in 1920	Territories annexed to Ilocos Sur, Bontoc and Benguet

Post-war era

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). 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.

A view of the capital town of Bontoc with the Chico River in the foreground

Geography

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.

It has an area of 215,738 hectares (533,100 acres), 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.

Administrative divisions

Mountain Province is subdivided into ten municipalities, all encompassed by a lone legislative district.

Municipality Area (km²) Population (2010) Density (per km²) No. of barangays ZIP code Income class Coordinates 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  †  Provincial capital Coordinates mark the town center vicinity, and are sorted according to latitude.

Political map of Mountain Province

Barangays

Mountain Province has 144 barangays comprising its 10 municipalities.

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.

Further information: List of barangays in Mountain Province

Demographics

Population census of Mountain Province
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	116,535	—
1995	130,755	+2.18%
2000	140,631	+1.57%
2007	148,661	+0.77%
2010	154,187	+1.34%
Source: National Statistics Office

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, such as the Ilocano, comprise about 21.6% of the province's population.

Religion

An Anglican church in Sagada

Roman Catholicism predominates in the province with approximately 60% adherence. In 2014, The Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-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. Other denominations include the Anglican Church.

Tourism

The province has several rice terraces in its different towns:

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

• 

  Sagada rice terraces

• 

  Rice terraces in Barlig

Government

List of former governors:

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

External links

• Geographic data related to Mountain Province at OpenStreetMap
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code

1. REDIRECT Template:Administrative divisions of the Philippines