Benguet, Administrative province in Cordillera Region, Philippines
Benguet is an administrative province in the Cordillera region of the Philippines, covering mountain country in the southern part of the area. The landscape consists of steep slopes, deep valleys, and peaks such as Mount Pulag, which rises nearly 3,000 meters (about 9,800 feet) high.
Spanish colonizers tried repeatedly from the 16th century onward to gain control over this region after hearing reports of gold. Indigenous communities resisted these attempts for a long time and kept their independence well into the colonial period.
The name comes from the Ibaloi term for "mountain edge," describing the way this province lies along steep ridges. Visitors traveling through the area pass terraced hillsides where farmers grow crops adapted to cooler weather.
The province includes 13 municipalities linked by winding mountain roads. Visitors should plan for cooler weather and allow extra travel time when moving between different elevations.
At higher elevations, frost occurs seasonally, a rare weather event for the Philippines. These cold spells influence the planting calendar and allow vegetables to grow that would not otherwise thrive in tropical conditions.
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