FACTS & FIGURES

... At a Glance

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Ifugao was formerly a part of the old Mountain Province. It was created as an independent province on June 18, 1966 by virtue of Republic Act No. 4695, otherwise known as the "Division Law of Mountain Province". Under this law, Mountain Province was divided into four (4) provinces namely: Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao and Mountain Province.

Brief History

The word Ipugao means "people of the hill". The Spaniards changed "Ipugo" to "Ipugaw" and was finally changed by the Americans to Ifugao.

During the Spanish occupation in Ifugao, their activities were confined in Kiangan. Their brief stay in Ifugao is characterized by the presence of puevlos (towns) headed by the Alcalde Municipal and barangays (barrios) headed by the "Cabesa de Barangay". The Spanish rule ended with the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution.

Ifugao became the center of warfare during the last stages of the World War II. It was in Mt. Napulawan in Ifugao where Gen. Yamashita, the known "Tiger of Malaya" decided to put his last stand against the Filipino and American forces. He informally surrendered to Capt. Grisham of the 6 th US Army in the Philippines based in Kiangan, Ifugao before he was flown to Camp John Hay where he formally surrendered.

In 1905, Ifugao was made a sub-province of the Old Mountain Province. The sub-province was administered by a Lt. Governor which was later changed to Deputy Governor. Captain Pedro Bulan was the first native and last official to assume the office of Deputy Governor. Hon. Luis Pawid of Kiangan became the first Deputy Governor during the regime.

At the outbreak of the war, there were five (5) municipalities namely: Burnay (later changed to Lagawe by virtue of R.A. 3380 and the capital town of the province), Kiangan, Banaue, Hungduan and Mayoyao. The municipalities of Potia, now Alfonso Lista, and Lamut were created after the war. The newest municipality is that of Asipulo.

Ifugao finally gained provincial status on June 18, 1966 with the municipality of Lagawe as the capital town.

The popularity of Ifugao has taken positive turn when its famous rice terraces found in Banaue, Hungduan, Kiangan and Mayoyao were listed in the prestigious World Heritage List of UNESCO in December 1985 as the first living cultural landscape.

Points of Interest

The existing tourist attractions in the province are classified under four categories namely man-made, historical, cultural, and natural spots. Dubbed as the "8 th Wonder of the World" is the Banaue Rice Terraces which is the most well known of Ifugao's terraces. Among the other popular terraces in the province are the Bangaan, Batad, Mayoyao and Hapao rice terraces. Magat Dam, the biggest dam in Asia, in the municipality of Alfonso Lista is also an added man-made attraction in the province.

HISTORICAL

• Philippine War Memorial Shrine (Kiangan) - Gigantic memorial shrine to commemorates the end of World War II. It is a concrete pyramid type structure which resembles an oversized Ifugao native house located at Linda, Kiangan. It could be used as a viewpoint of the Poblacion, other neighboring barangays and the capital town of Lagawe. The shrine is ten (10) kilometers away or 15 minutes drive from the capital town.

• Million Dollar Hill - the hill overlooking the Poblacion of Kiangan. It got its name from the last war when the allied armies spent million of dollars worth of bombs and ammunitions to annihilate the enemies in the area.

CULTURAL

• National Museum (Kiangan) - This museum displays Ifugao artifacts and is under the supervision of the National Museum of the Philippines, with Ms. Rosario Guinid as curator. It is 32 meters facing the shrine and 300 meters away from the Municipal Hall.

• Tam-an Village - A typical village situated 240 steps down from the Banaue Hotel's swimming pool. Here, woodcarving and hand-woven products are produced and sold to travelers.

OTHER SCENIC SITES: Bocos Village, Poitan Village, Batad Village, Hapao Village, Bangaan Village. This villages are characterized by the presence of a wholesome community where the livelihood activities are within the surroundings, and the houses are clustered in a designated area. These villages showcase the typical Ifugao community.

NATURAL

• Bintakan Cave (Lagawe) - It is located at the rocky slope of Ibunao which is about 2 kilometers from the provincial capitol. The mouth of the cave is overlooking the Ibunao river. It is a three-room cave with dripping water that forms stalactites and stalagmites of different beautiful shapes. It can be reached by tricycle ride and 20-minute ascent to the mouth of the cave.

• Nah-toban Cave (Lagawe) - The cave is much larger than Bintakan Cave and has a descending entrance with four rooms but there are still other rooms unexplored. It is located at Boliwong, Lagawe, about 4 kilometers hike from the Poblacion passing through trails. Huge quantities of guano are found in the cave.

• Tukuhan Sulphur Hot Springs (Tinoc) - A sulfuric hot spring at Barangay Tukuhan in the Municipality of Tinoc. This can be reached by a two-hour hike from Monsoyosoy, Buguias, Benguet.

• Guihob Natural Swimming Pool (Banaue) - a four-kilometer drive from Banaue, Poblacion. One has to hop and jump over huge boulders to reach the crystal clear waters of Guihob. It is a perfect place for those who prefer a cool and refreshing swim.

• Tappiya Waterfalls (Banaue) - About 30 minutes from Batad Village is a cascading waterfall with its enormous natural pool for swimming. A visit to Batad would be incomplete without seeing these beautiful waterfalls.

• Buyukan Waterfalls (Banaue) – This can only be reached by a three-hour hike from Poblacion, Hungduan. This is located in Barangay Abatan and is near the border of Hungduan and Tinoc municipalities.

• Ambuwaya Lake (Kiangan) – Legends says that it was once a large sitio that became a lake because of the killing and making fun of leech in the spring by some children. The lake is deep and good for swimming and boating. The shaded surroundings is an ideal place for picnics. It is now the site of a research on fishing culture. The lake is about four (4) kilometers from the town center of Kiangan and can be reached by four wheel drive vehicles.

• Asin Hot Springs – Located in a distant barangay of Hungduan. The Asin Salt Spring is a 12-hour like from Kiangan.

MAN-MADE

• Banaue Rice Terraces (Banaue) – A leading tourism destination in the country and considered the "Eight Wonder of the World". The rice terraces starts from the base of the mountain range and reach up to several thousand feet high. It is said that its length, if put end to end would encircle half of the globe. Made about 2,000 years ago, the rice terraces manifest the engineering skill and ingenuity of the sturdy Ifugaos. Streams and springs found in the mountains were taped and channeled into irrigation canal that run downhill through the ride terraces.

• Batad Rice Terraces (Banaue) – These rice terraces are tried and take the shape of an amphitheater and is located in barangay Batad. It can be reached by a twelve-kilometer ride from Banaue Hotel and a 2-hour hike through mountain trails.

• Mayoyao Rice Terraces (Mayoyao) – This spot is 44 kilometers away from Poblacion, Banaue. This Poblacion of Mayoyao lies in the midst of these rice terraces thus upon arrival in the town, one is awed with a breathtaking view of the rice terraces where all the dikes are tiered with flat stones.

• Hapao Rice Terraces (Hungduan) – This is another stonewalled rice terraces located in the municipality of Hungduan and is 55 kilometers from the capital town of Lagawe.

• Magat Dam (Alfonso Lista) – It is reputedly the biggest dam in Asia. This is located near the municipality of Alfonso Lista and about 25 kilometers from the town center of Santa Maria.

• Nayaradan Rice Terraces – are found in Kiangan and these shows how forest management and rice terracing are complementary.

SPECIAL INTEREST

Mountain Climbing and Village Visits – reaching some of the tourist spots which involve hiking. For more adventurous tourists, the Ifugao terrain offers ample choice for mountain climbers

• Mount Amuyao – The 8 th highest peak in the Philippines with an elevation of 2,702 meters (8,865) above sea level is located between the boundary line of Banaue and Mayoyao and between Ifugao and Mountain Province. Its summits provides the climber with a breath-taking panorama of the Mountain Province, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya and Ifugao. Mayoyao legends says that the first Ifugao couple, Bugan and Wigan took refuge in this mountain during the 40-day deluge that inundated the province. Being the only survivor, they became the first ancestors of the Ifugaos.

• Mount Napulawan – Located in the municipality of Hungduan, this mountain is very accessible to mountain trekkers. Conquerors of this peak are fascinated by the thick tropical rain forest and its rare flora. Trees near the peak are unusually short.

• Mount Anapawon – Centrally located in Ifugao, this mountain peak is considered the best camping site in the province. It provides a very good view of Hungduan municipality and the low-lying municipalities of Lagawe and Kiangan as well as the rice terraces of Hingyon.

SSources: Cordillera Source Book on Autonomy
              First Regional Media Conference
              Sagada, Mt. Province
              March 4 - 8, 1997
              by the Cordillera Executive Board     

              1997 Tourism Situationer
              Department of Tourism
              Cordillera Administrative Region  

Page last updated: August 3, 2005