Benguet

Benguet is a landlocked province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in northern Luzon, Philippines. It is known for its mountainous terrain and cool climate. The province covers roughly 1,069.15 square kilometers and is composed of 13 municipalities and 140 barangays. The capital is La Trinidad. The name 'Benguet' comes from the language of the indigenous Ibaloi and Kankanaey people, referring to the highland or mountainous region, and was later adapted and spelled by the Spanish during their colonization.

HISTORY

Benguet has been home to indigenous groups such as the Ibaloi, Kankanaey, and Kalanguya, who practiced agriculture and gold mining long before colonial times. During the Spanish period (16th–19th centuries), Benguet was incorporated into the Mountain Province, but due to its mountainous terrain and strong native resistance, Spanish influence was limited. Later, the Americans organized Benguet as a sub-province of Mountain Province in 1900, introducing infrastructure, public education, and mining operations that boosted its economy. During World War II, Benguet became a site of guerrilla resistance against the Japanese. After independence in 1946, Benguet remained a sub-province until Republic Act No. 4695 (1966), which made it a regular province with La Trinidad as its capital, while Baguio City became an independent chartered city. Since then, Benguet has become known as the 'Salad Bowl of the Philippines' due to its highland vegetable farming, as well as its mining industry.

QUICK FACTS
Population (2024)	473,190
Land Area (sq.km)	1,069.15
No. of Households	116,692
Average Household Size	3.94
Registered Voters	418,160
Major Landmark	Mount Pulag National Park
Coastal Access	No
Elevation (above sea level)	700–1600m

Map

Benguet is located in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in northern Luzon, bordered by Abra to the north, Mountain Province to the east, Ifugao to the southeast, Nueva Vizcaya to the south, and Pangasinan to the west.

MUNICIPALITIES POPULATION DATA

Benguet has 13 municipalities and 140 barangays.

name	type	barangay_count	population_2020	population_2024
Municipality 1	Municipality	8	19218	19346
Municipality 2	Municipality	7	14535	15399
Municipality 3	Municipality	10	14435	16071
Municipality 4	Municipality	14	44877	45703
Municipality 5	Municipality	9	61498	59736
Municipality 6	Municipality	13	15806	15841
Municipality 7	Municipality	15	19297	20048
Municipality 8	Municipality	7	17051	16884
La Trinidad	Municipality (Capital)	16	137404	142925
Municipality 10	Municipality	12	37233	38647
Municipality 11	Municipality	8	11588	12436
Municipality 12	Municipality	13	48312	49268
Municipality 13	Municipality	8	19429	20886

DEMOGRAPHICS

Population by Age Group (2020)

The largest age group in Benguet in 2020 was 20–24 years (45,216), followed by 5–9 years (44,619) and Below 5 (44,611). The smallest was 75–79 years (3,701).

age	population_2020
Below 5	44611
5–9	44619
10–14	43779
15–19	43915
20–24	45216
25–29	42639
30–34	38392
35–39	32752
40–44	26949
45–49	22018
50–54	20405
55–59	17767
60–64	14122
65–69	9645
70–74	5958
75–79	3701
80+	4195

Population by Gender (2020)

In 2020, Benguet’s population was 51.97% male and 48.03% female.

ECONOMY

Agriculture

From 2018 to 2023, Benguet’s crop production fluctuated, livestock steadily increased, poultry more than doubled, and fisheries experienced irregular trends with a sharp dip in 2021 before recovering in 2023.

title	2022	2023
Crops	11599	15262
Livestock	1032	1155
Poultry	475	531
Fisheries	46	59

BARANGAY