Bontoc Barangays(Geo)

Bontoc is a Philippine municipality. It is located in the province Mountain Province in

Region Cordillera Administrative Region, which is a part of the Luzon group of
islands. The municipality Bontoc is seated about 278 km north of Philippine main
capital Manila. Administratively the Municipality of Bontoc is subdivided into 16
barangays. One forms the center of the city, whereas the other 15 are in the
outlying areas. Some of them are even several kilometers away from the center of
the Municipality.

No.

Name PSGC-Code Area

in kmUrbanisation Population
1

Alab Proper 144404001 -

rural 880

Alab Oriente 144404002 -

rural 522

Balili 144404003 -

rural 388

Bayyo 144404004 -

rural 357

Bontoc Ili

Caneo 144404006 -

Dalican

144404007 -

rural 759

Gonogon

144404009 -

rural 677

10

Guinaang

144404010 -

rural 1,591

11

Mainit 144404011 -

12

Maligcong

144404012 -

rural 481

13

Samoki

144404013 -

rural 2,980

14

Talubin

144404014 -

rural 1,722

15

Tocucan

144404015 -

rural 1,407

16

Poblacion (Bontoc) 144404016 -

17

Calutit

144404005 -

rural 4,973

rural 679

rural 1,124

144404017 -

urban 3,289

rural 2,969

Bontoc is the province capital of province Mountain Province. According to the 2007
census, Bontoc has a population of 24,798 residents and is part of the big group of
1073 cities and municipalities in the Philippines which have more than 10.000
residents but did not reach 50.000 population yet. Based on the number of its
inhabitants Bontoc is number 1032 of the most populous cities of the Philippines
and at 502 in Luzon group of islands and at 2 of the most populous cities of province
Mountain Province. With an area of 396.10 km Bontoc is one of the cities with a
smaller urban area. Based on its area area, it ranks only as the 2nd of the smallest
cities of the province of Mountain Province.

According to the Philippine income classification for provinces, cities and

municipalities Bontoc is a 2nd class municipality. The urbanization status of Bontoc
is classified as partly urban.
HISTORY:
The Igorots are grouped into six ethno-linguistic groups, the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Isneg (or
Apayao), Kalinga, and the Kankanaey. Below are brief descriptions of the Igorot
ethnic groups.
The Bontocs (alternatively spelled Bontok) live on the banks of the Chico River in
the Central Mountain Province. They speak the Bontoc language. They formerly
practiced head-hunting and had distinctive body tatoos. The Bontoc describe three
types of tattoos: The chak-lag, the tattooed chest of the head taker; pong-o, the
tattooed arms of men and women; and fa-tk, for all other tattoos of both sexes.
Women were tattooed on the arms only. In the past, the Bontoc engaged in none of
the usual pastimes or games of chance practiced in other areas of the country, but
did perform a circular rhythmic dance acting out certain aspects of the hunt, always
accompanied by the gang-sa or bronze gong. There was no singing or talking
during the dance drama, but the women took part, usually outside the
circumference. It was a serious but pleasurable event for all concerned, including
the children.[4] Present-day Bontocs are a peaceful agricultural people who have,
by choice, retained most of their traditional culture despite frequent contacts with
other groups.
The pre-Christian Bontoc belief system centers on a hierarchy of spirits, the highest
being a supreme deity called Lumawig. Lumawig personifies the forces of nature
and is the legendary creator, friend, and teacher of the Bontoc. A hereditary class of
priests hold various monthly ceremonies for this deity for their crops, the weather,
and for healing. The Bontoc also believe in the anitospirits of the dead who must
be consulted before anything important is done. Ancestral anitos are invited to
family feasts when a death occurs to ensure the well-being of the deceaseds
soul.This is by offering some small amount of food to show that they are invited and
not forgotten.

The Bontoc social structure used to be centered around village wards (ato)
containing about 14 to 50 homes. Traditionally, young men and women lived in
dormitories and ate meals with their families. This gradually changed with the
advent of Christianity. In general, however, it can be said that all Bontocs are very
aware of their own way of life and are not overly eager to change.
RELIGION:
Although the Bontoc believe in the anito or spirits of their ancestors and in spirits
dwelling in nature, they are essentially monotheistic. Their god is Lumawig, their
culture hero and son of the god Kabunian, although the two are also perceived as
one and the same. Religious practices, rituals and caoas attend their cycles of life,
death, and agricultural activities. There are many kinds of caoa. The chao-es is the
feast for the manerwap, which is the ritual imploring Lumawig for rain. A cho-es is
also held when a persons name needs to be changed because of an incurable
ailment that is believed to be caused by an ancestral spirit. The fosog is the feast
for fertility rites. There are sacred days called tengao/teer, which are some 46 days
scattered in a year when work in the fields is taboo. The tengao are generally
associated with crops, climate, weather and sickness. During this period, kapya
(prayers) are addressed to the spirits for favors and blessings. The manayeng is a
group prayer asking Lumawig for rain.

The Bontoc also believe that the earth or soil (luta) has a god, tahta is whiy when a
person has been taken advataged off in relation to land property by another person
like: the boundary has been moved by the owner of the adjacent land to make his
property wider; or one person tries to grab a piece of land from another person, the
under dog individual prays to the god of the earth and to Lumawig for help.

The Bontocs also believe that springs of water have their gods who act as their
guardians. These places are considered sacred bebause these bodies of water give
life to people; hence, people should never make any monkey business with the
water in these springs or make them dirty. In connection with these springs, it is the
belief that a person who has a spring in one of his fields should sacrifice a chicken in
this field especially during the asi- apey so that the water will not become very
small or dry up. Generally, the Bontocs believe that bodies of water especially those
found in the mountains such as lakes, big or small, the falls and the springs that are
found within the community are abodes of spirits.
PEOPLE:"Bontoc" is derived from two morphemes "bun" (heap) and "tuk" (top),
which taken together, means "mountains." The term "Bontoc" now refers to the
people of the Mountain Province used to consist of five subprovinces created during
the Spanich period: Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao and Kalinga. In 1966, four new

provinces were created out of the original Mountain Province: Benguet, Ifugao,
Mounatin Province (formerly the subprovince of Bontoc), and Kalinga-Apayao.