COMMUNITY PROFILE REPORT
Barangay Bahong
La Trinidad, Benguet
(Introduction and Rationale)
History
The history of Bahong shows its transformation
of how the place emerged by the settlers who
started to reside in that area. Bahong, part of
Tacdian, has a history dating back to the pre-
Spanish era. It witnessed two waves of
migration, with the first wave bringing the
"iuwaks" who cultivated wet rice. Bahong was
an early settlement area in La Trinidad, known
for its rice terraces and trade with lowlanders. A
cataclysmic event in 1641, involving an
earthquake and flood, devastated the region,
leading to the formation of a lake. The second
wave of migration occurred in the 1700s, as
hunters discovered the remaining survivors of
the iuwaks and settled in Takdian. During the
Spanish period, Bahong was a separate
Rancheria from La Trinidad, and its rustic
character remained intact while La Trinidad
became cosmopolitan. Forced labor by the
Spanish led La Trinidad inhabitants to flee to
Bahong. In the American period, Baniwas, a
prominent figure from Bahong, served as the
President of La Trinidad. Later, the barrio of
Tacdian was divided into two, resulting in the
creation of Barangay Shilan and Barangay
Bahong. The Ibaloi word "pesjohong or
naydihong," meaning hollow or bowl-like, gave
rise to the name Bahong.
Demography
General Population. The population rate of
barangay Bahong has been steadily increasing
since 1975 with a population of 1,790 back then.
According to the most recent census that is
available, barangay Bahong has a projected
6,632 population with an estimated 1,658
number of households at 2020. Most of the
population are males who are 50.75% of the
population while females take up the 49.25%.
Most of the population resides in Sitio Tomay
that takes up 34.50% of the population, followed
by Sitios Ma-e, Central Bahong, Sadag and
Anoding, respectively.
Age Dependency. Most of the population
(63.65%) are part of the working age group
followed by the Age-dependency ratio and the
young-age dependency ratio. The barangay has a
median age of 24 years old. This means that half
of the population are 24 years old and below,
belonging in the younger generations.
Religious Affiliation. 74.97% of the population
belong to the Catholic denomination, followed
by Protestant, those who don’t identify with any
religion, Baptism and the rest belongs to various
different religious denominations/churches.
Ethnicity. Majority or 62.78% of the total
population belong to Ibaloi ethnic group. This is
followed by Kankana-ey ethnic group,
representing 17.89% of the total population.
Bontoc group and Ifugao group, representing
4.98% and 2.80% respectively. Ethnicities
coming from far regions are also present in the
batrangay such as Aetas, Mangyans and T’walis.
Education. Bahong has a literacy rate of 96.22%
of the population who are 10 years old and
above.
Out of the total population 30.53% are still
attending school. While a total of 2,928 persons
were not attending school, with 1,533 males and
1,395 females, representing 69.47% of the total
population. About 16% of the population was
able to be a college graduate while 12% are high
school graduates. However, 9% of the
population did not start or finish any grade level.
Environment
Bahong is a barangay located in the southwest of
La Trinidad. It shares its boundaries with other
four barangays of the municipality. On the
north, Barangay Alno and the Municipality of
Tublay, Barangay Tawang on the south and
Barangay Shilan on the south-east and Barangay
Alapang on the west. The barangay is situated 3
kilometers from the Poblacion, 2 kilometers
from the national highway, 3 kilometers from
the provincial road and Provincial Capitol, and
10 kilometers from Baguio City. It comprises
five sitios: Sadag, Central Bahong, Anoding,
Ma-e, and Tomay. Accessible via Baguio-
Bontoc Road or Camp Dangwa-Bahong-Sadag
Provincial Road, public utility jeeps are
available for transportation. The average
temperature is 26°C, with a dry season from
November to April and a wet season the rest of
the year. The dominant land type is hilly to
mountainous, followed by upland, rough
mountainous, and very steep, extremely rough
mountainous areas. The barangay has three types
of soil: Puguis gravelly loam, Tacdian loam, and
Halsema loam, with a risk of soil erosion. It is
home to Dong-oy River, five creeks, and ten
springs. The agricultural land covers most of the
barangay’s land use with 540.32 hectares, while
the road, residential, commercial, and
institutional areas cover 66.81, 29.66, 17.82, and
2.95 hectares respectively.
Infrastructures
Electricity. A total of 906 households has
electrical connections with BENECO,
representing96.28% of the total households.
Water Supply. There were 516 households who
have access to safe water (bottled water),
representing 54.84% of the total households.
Some 227 households or 24.12% have their own
connections to the community water system and
34 households shared with other households’
water connection. Source of water of 148
households is from rivers, stream, lake and/or
spring, representing 15.73%.
Roads. The main road going around and/or
along the barangay is the Baguio-Bontoc road.
Most of the roads are concrete especially the
main highways and provincial roads but some
barangay roads are still gravels.
Housing. From the records of the Municipal
Engineering Office, a total of 22 new buildings
were constructed in barangay Bahong last 2012.
This represents 5.82% of the total number of
buildings constructed in La Trinidad.
Local Institutions and Groups
Educational Institution. Barangay Bahong has
one available public school, namely the Bahong
Elementary School.
Health Institution. Bahong’s Barangay Health
Station is adjacent to Baguio-Bontoc Road. The
midwife holds clinic on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays. Then she conducts home visits on
Thursday. Another clinic is located in Sadag
Day Care Center. Clinic day is every third
Tuesday of the month.
Community Organizations. As to participation in
community affairs, 20.31% are members of a
community organization. Most of these
members are part of a cooperative (76.15%),
followed by Senior Citizen Associations
(10.73%), Womens Organizations (3.4%) and
the rest are part of other groups.
Community Culture
The community culture in Barangay Bahong of
La Trinidad, Benguet is influenced by the Ibaloi
indigenous culture and the agricultural lifestyle
of its residents. Bahong is home to the Ibaloi
people, and their traditions, customs, and
practices are an integral part of the community's
culture. The barangay is also dubbed as 'The
Rose Capital of the Philippines'. In connection to
this, the community's culture also revolves
around agriculture, as farming is a significant
livelihood for the residents.The cultivation of
crops, fruits and flowers is essential to their way
of life. Traditional farming methods and
knowledge are often preserved and
practiced.The people of Bahong foster a strong
sense of community and cooperation. They
engage in communal activities like ‘Binnadang
culture’ wherein people help one another in
times of needs without expecting anything in
return .
Given the community's close relationship with
the environment, there is often a deep respect
and reverence for nature. Practices such as
sustainable farming techniques, conservation of
natural resources, and a strong connection to the
land are commonly observed. Family also plays
a central role in the community culture of
Bahong. Family values, respect for elders, and
intergenerational bonds are highly regarded and
contribute to the social fabric of the community.
Patterns of settlement
The settlement patterns in Barangay Bahong
exhibit a combination of clustering, dispersal,
and site selection influenced by topography,
road networks, agricultural practices, and
proximity to natural resources. The settlement in
Bahong exhibits a clustered pattern, where
houses and structures are grouped together in
specific areas. The choice of settlement sites in
Bahong is influenced by factors such as
topography and proximity to natural resources.
The hilly to mountainous terrain result in houses
being built on elevated areas or slopes, taking
advantage of available space and views.
Settlements in Bahong are often located along or
near roads, providing accessibility for
transportation and connecting the community to
other areas. The residential areas in Bahong are
scattered throughout the barangay, reflecting a
dispersed settlement pattern. Houses may be
situated in close proximity to agricultural fields
or clustered near community facilities. Much of
the land in Bahong is dedicated to agriculture,
with fields and terraces used for cultivating
crops. The agricultural areas are typically
located away from the residential clusters and
closer to water sources for irrigation purposes.
As Bahong is located near the urban center of La
Trinidad and Baguio City, there may be areas
where residential and commercial developments
are more concentrated, reflecting the influence
of urbanization.
Economics
Most of the households in the barangay
engages/d in entrepreneurial activities.
Approximately half of these activities are in the
crop farming and gardening industry, followed
by wholesale and retail trade activities,
transportation, storage, and communication
services, Livestock and poultry raising and
others such as mining, fishing and forestry.
More than half of the total households in
Bahong were wage earners. Aside from the
main source of income, 647 households had
other sources of income. Most of these
households received dividends from
investments. A number of households received
remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers.
Others had additional income from cash
receipts, support, assistance, relief from
domestic sources, rentals of agricultural lands,
buildings, spaces and other properties and
additional income from retirement pensions.
36.45% of the total number of households
engaged in agriculture wherein most owned the
land they are tilling. Some cultivated through
rented lands while some used lands not owned
by them but with permission from the owners.
In terms of employment, 98.94% of employed
residents are part of the potentially employed.
45.98% were employed in agriculture, mining
and forestry. This is followed by individuals
employed in wholesale and retail trade,
representing 13.90%. There were persons
employed in transportation, storage and
communication sector, which represents 9.12%.
Some were employed in other community,
social or personal activities, representing
6.02%. Education sector 5.01% of the total
while 4.61% were employed in public
administration and defense sector.
Local Government Structure
The local government structure of Barangay
Bahong operates within the framework set by
the Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local
Government Code of the Philippines. It follows
the typical barangay governance framework in
the Philippines. It consists of elected officials
who serve as the key decision-makers and
administrators of the barangay. The barangay's
officials include a Punong Barangay or
Barangay Captain. The Punong Barangay serves
as the highest elected official in the barangay.
They are responsible for the overall governance
and administration of the barangay, including
the implementation of policies and programs.
The Sangguniang Barangay Members are the
elected councilors who work together with the
Punong Barangay in making legislative
decisions and formulating policies for the
barangay. The Barangay Secretary assists in the
administrative functions of the barangay. They
are responsible for keeping official records,
documenting meetings, and facilitating
communication between the barangay officials
and the residents. While the Barangay Treasurer
manages the financial affairs of the barangay,
including budgeting, accounting, and financial
reporting. They oversee the collection of local
taxes and fees and ensure proper financial
management. Then, the Barangay Clerk assists
in maintaining official documents and records of
the barangay. They handle administrative tasks
such as issuing certifications, processing
permits, and managing barangay files. Lastly,
the Barangay Tanods are appointed or elected
volunteers who serve as peacekeepers and
maintain peace and order within the community.
They collaborate with local law enforcement
agencies to ensure the safety and security of the
barangay.
Social Structure
The social structure of Barangay Bahong is
shaped by various factors, including cultural
traditions, community dynamics, and local
customs. It reflects a blend of traditional values
and evolving dynamics within the community.
Family plays a central role in the social structure
of Bahong. The community is often organized
around extended families and kinship ties, with a
strong emphasis on familial relationships and
obligations. Respect for elders, intergenerational
cooperation, and mutual support within families
are highly valued. In connection with this,
Bahong also fosters a close-knit community
where residents often engage in communal
activities and collective decision-making. The
social structure of Bahong is also influenced by
the cultural heritage, values, and customs of the
Ibaloi community. This includes the
preservation of indigenous knowledge,
traditional practices, and a deep connection to
the land and natural environment. Within the
barangay, there may be informal social roles and
hierarchies based on factors such as age, gender,
and community involvement. Elders often hold
positions of respect and authority, and
community leaders or influential individuals
may play significant roles in decision-making
processes. In terms of education, it is valued as a
means of upward social mobility and the
transmission of cultural values and knowledge to
younger generations. Schools and educational
institutions in the barangay play a role in
shaping the social structure by providing
opportunities for learning, skill development,
and social interaction. Traditional practices,
customs, and rituals are also respected and
valued in Bahong's social structure. Ceremonies,
festivals, and cultural events serve as platforms
for the preservation and promotion of
indigenous traditions, reinforcing a sense of
identity and cultural continuity.