A town where its name reminds you its mealtime
There are different versions of how Kapangan got her name. Originally, it was named “Takdang” (People of the East) and was also known as Amburayan.
Long before the Spanish and American colonizers appeared to this place, the people from the North and East wondered to this area. This place was a virgin forest abundant with wild life and with a sloping and rolling plateau. Thus hunters from the North and East came to forage. A hunter named Anawan was one of those who emerged to this place. Following his thirsty hunting dog to a spring to drink, he rested awhile. Upon assessing the place, he was attracted to its beauty and apt for habitat. Anawan returned to his village to tell his family what he saw.
Anawan told and described to his family about the place he saw. His wife was reluctant to visit the place but was later convinced. They packed their belongings and transferred to the place. They build a comfortable house and planted crops enough to feed themselves. There were many wild animals aside from their domesticated animals thus the family lived in contentment. To protect themselves from intruders and wild animals, they build a fortress around their house.
As time passed by, other hunters including his friends came to visit the home of Anawan. The place had no name so the visitors named it by its distinct landmark that was the fortress build by Anawan. They called it Coral, in the Ibaloi dialect; this is the fortress for animals. Other highlanders from the North came to trade with the lowlanders coming up including some Chinese traders. They traded copper and gold for jars, salt, cattle and clothe.
A rich trader from the North by the name Walwato came to trade his gold for carabaos. After the trade, he was about to go home with the carabaos but a strong typhoon came. Walwato took refuge to Anawans home. Anawan was always hospitable to visitors and travelers passing his home. While Walwato was resting in his assigned room, he thought of asking the name of the place. It was then supper time and Anawan sent his daughter to call Walwato for supper. When the daughter of Anawan was about to invite Walwato for supper, it was then that Walwato inquired the name of the place and Anawan’s daughter answered “Kapangan” meaning go to eat. Walwato didn’t understand Ibaloi but he thought that was the name of the place Kapangan. After the typhoon ceased that morning, Walwato was back home with his carabaos. Friends and neighbors asked if where did he stay during the typhoon, Walwato said he stayed at Anawans place in Kapangan.
The Municipality of Kapangan existed as an organized town as early as the Spanish Regime. The legal existence of the municipality was by virtue of Act No. 48 passed and approved on November 22, 1900 during the American Civil Government. On June 18, 1966, Republic Act No. 4695 was passed otherwise called the Division Law which separated the Province of Benguet from its mother province “The Old Mountain Province”. The Province of Benguet, in effect, maintained her thirteen (13) municipalities among them, The Municipality of Kapangan.
The early people of Kapangan migrated from the East by and large from Tinoc and Buguias. They were refered to as Tacdang since they come from the direction of the sunrise. They migrated to this place as hunters passing through Buguias, Kibungan and Atok. Others followed the creeks leading to Amburayan River passing through Atok, Tublay then Kapangan. They build settlements along the river which could provide water and irrigation for ricefields. Some resorted to kaingin system planting camote, gabi, ba nana and other rootcrops taken from the forest.
The people of Kapangan belong to two linguistic groups, the Ibaloi and Kankanaey. The Ibaloi settled at Taba-ao, Datakan and Gaswiling and the Kankanaey to Balakbak, Cuba and Paykek. The old folks say that the Kalangoya tribe was the mother language of both the Ibaloi and the Kankanaey. It is the geographic isolation as well as contacts with other linguistic groups makes the difference. Radical topography also engendered human diversity. Separated by uncrossable rivers and soaring mountains, individual ethnic groups developed distinct languages and traditions unique to their environments. Significantly, the two linguistic groups share common customs and traditions.
When the Municipality of Kapangan was established in 1898, informal political leadership likewise started with Pimentel Espiritu Carino as appointed mayor of Kapangan with Government seat in Datakan. Two years later in 1902, the first elected mayor was Kilaban Gilao of Taba-ao. A year later, Badillo Palaez from Balakbak was elected mayor. For effective administration, Palaez caused the transfer of Government office from Taba-ao to Balakbak. The government in Balakbak lasted for 14 years with almost yearly turnover of leadership. In 1916, the seat of government was moved to Kodal that is actually the former Kapangan Central. Government activities lasted for 54 years in Kapangan Central until its final transfer to Lomon in January 1970 where the present Municipal Government is situated.
Kapangan played a significant role in the past especially during World War II. It served as the general headquarters of the famed 66th Infantry Regiment of the United States Armed Forces- North Luzon and the Igorot Guerillas headed by Majors Bado Dangwa and Dennis Molintas. This is known as Camp Utopia located at Liteng, Sagubo. This was used as a training camp, hospital and a radio communications den. A micro hydro power was built through a waterfall to provide electric current for its humming radio network from other units including communications from abroad. Kapangan served as home to the Chinese people and the lowland people who earlier settled in Baguio. The people of Kapangan sheltered and hid these people from the dreaded Japanese Imperial Army until the end of the war in 1945.
The municipality is located at the Western portion of the Province of Benguet. It is approximately located at 16 degrees, 33 min to 16 degrees min. latitude and 120 degrees 40 min to 120 min. longitude. The municipality is bounded by the Municipality of Kibungan on the North, the Mun. of Atok on the East, the Province of La Union on the West and the Municipalities of Tublay and Sablan on the South. Kapangan is 35 kilometers from the City of Baguio and 29 kilometers from the Provincial Capitol of Benguet.
It has an approximate land area of 17,327.25 hectares prepared by the Provincial Planning and Development Office which represent 6.68 percent of the total land area of Benguet.
Generally, it has a more rolling terrain compared with the other municipalities of Benguet. Likewise, it has irregular rugged terrain with towering mountains.
It belongs to the Type I climate by the Corona System of Classification with two distinct seasons. Dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. ()
Long before the Spanish and American colonizers appeared to this place, the people from the North and East wondered to this area. This place was a virgin forest abundant with wild life and with a sloping and rolling plateau. Thus hunters from the North and East came to forage. A hunter named Anawan was one of those who emerged to this place. Following his thirsty hunting dog to a spring to drink, he rested awhile. Upon assessing the place, he was attracted to its beauty and apt for habitat. Anawan returned to his village to tell his family what he saw.
Anawan told and described to his family about the place he saw. His wife was reluctant to visit the place but was later convinced. They packed their belongings and transferred to the place. They build a comfortable house and planted crops enough to feed themselves. There were many wild animals aside from their domesticated animals thus the family lived in contentment. To protect themselves from intruders and wild animals, they build a fortress around their house.
As time passed by, other hunters including his friends came to visit the home of Anawan. The place had no name so the visitors named it by its distinct landmark that was the fortress build by Anawan. They called it Coral, in the Ibaloi dialect; this is the fortress for animals. Other highlanders from the North came to trade with the lowlanders coming up including some Chinese traders. They traded copper and gold for jars, salt, cattle and clothe.
A rich trader from the North by the name Walwato came to trade his gold for carabaos. After the trade, he was about to go home with the carabaos but a strong typhoon came. Walwato took refuge to Anawans home. Anawan was always hospitable to visitors and travelers passing his home. While Walwato was resting in his assigned room, he thought of asking the name of the place. It was then supper time and Anawan sent his daughter to call Walwato for supper. When the daughter of Anawan was about to invite Walwato for supper, it was then that Walwato inquired the name of the place and Anawan’s daughter answered “Kapangan” meaning go to eat. Walwato didn’t understand Ibaloi but he thought that was the name of the place Kapangan. After the typhoon ceased that morning, Walwato was back home with his carabaos. Friends and neighbors asked if where did he stay during the typhoon, Walwato said he stayed at Anawans place in Kapangan.
The Municipality of Kapangan existed as an organized town as early as the Spanish Regime. The legal existence of the municipality was by virtue of Act No. 48 passed and approved on November 22, 1900 during the American Civil Government. On June 18, 1966, Republic Act No. 4695 was passed otherwise called the Division Law which separated the Province of Benguet from its mother province “The Old Mountain Province”. The Province of Benguet, in effect, maintained her thirteen (13) municipalities among them, The Municipality of Kapangan.
The early people of Kapangan migrated from the East by and large from Tinoc and Buguias. They were refered to as Tacdang since they come from the direction of the sunrise. They migrated to this place as hunters passing through Buguias, Kibungan and Atok. Others followed the creeks leading to Amburayan River passing through Atok, Tublay then Kapangan. They build settlements along the river which could provide water and irrigation for ricefields. Some resorted to kaingin system planting camote, gabi, ba nana and other rootcrops taken from the forest.
The people of Kapangan belong to two linguistic groups, the Ibaloi and Kankanaey. The Ibaloi settled at Taba-ao, Datakan and Gaswiling and the Kankanaey to Balakbak, Cuba and Paykek. The old folks say that the Kalangoya tribe was the mother language of both the Ibaloi and the Kankanaey. It is the geographic isolation as well as contacts with other linguistic groups makes the difference. Radical topography also engendered human diversity. Separated by uncrossable rivers and soaring mountains, individual ethnic groups developed distinct languages and traditions unique to their environments. Significantly, the two linguistic groups share common customs and traditions.
When the Municipality of Kapangan was established in 1898, informal political leadership likewise started with Pimentel Espiritu Carino as appointed mayor of Kapangan with Government seat in Datakan. Two years later in 1902, the first elected mayor was Kilaban Gilao of Taba-ao. A year later, Badillo Palaez from Balakbak was elected mayor. For effective administration, Palaez caused the transfer of Government office from Taba-ao to Balakbak. The government in Balakbak lasted for 14 years with almost yearly turnover of leadership. In 1916, the seat of government was moved to Kodal that is actually the former Kapangan Central. Government activities lasted for 54 years in Kapangan Central until its final transfer to Lomon in January 1970 where the present Municipal Government is situated.
Kapangan played a significant role in the past especially during World War II. It served as the general headquarters of the famed 66th Infantry Regiment of the United States Armed Forces- North Luzon and the Igorot Guerillas headed by Majors Bado Dangwa and Dennis Molintas. This is known as Camp Utopia located at Liteng, Sagubo. This was used as a training camp, hospital and a radio communications den. A micro hydro power was built through a waterfall to provide electric current for its humming radio network from other units including communications from abroad. Kapangan served as home to the Chinese people and the lowland people who earlier settled in Baguio. The people of Kapangan sheltered and hid these people from the dreaded Japanese Imperial Army until the end of the war in 1945.
The municipality is located at the Western portion of the Province of Benguet. It is approximately located at 16 degrees, 33 min to 16 degrees min. latitude and 120 degrees 40 min to 120 min. longitude. The municipality is bounded by the Municipality of Kibungan on the North, the Mun. of Atok on the East, the Province of La Union on the West and the Municipalities of Tublay and Sablan on the South. Kapangan is 35 kilometers from the City of Baguio and 29 kilometers from the Provincial Capitol of Benguet.
It has an approximate land area of 17,327.25 hectares prepared by the Provincial Planning and Development Office which represent 6.68 percent of the total land area of Benguet.
Generally, it has a more rolling terrain compared with the other municipalities of Benguet. Likewise, it has irregular rugged terrain with towering mountains.
It belongs to the Type I climate by the Corona System of Classification with two distinct seasons. Dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. ()