cial
purposes from Natubleng, Lengaoan and nearby places. Later, Km. 102
Logging was established simultaneously with the opening of the ACME
mines in Nabalicong hiring natives for manpower.
In the beginning “KABUNYAN” created the first couple Bangan and
Bugan who started the first family after the great flood at Mt.
Kalawitan, the highest mountain north of Benguet. Their decendants
went and settled on the northwest to Gonogon and Bontoc following
the Chico river, others went southward to Ahin, Tococan, Ambanglo,
Tinok, Awa, Palatong, Amlimay, Man-atong, Bogeyas, Tanggawan, Labay,
Amgaleygey, Togtogyon and farther to Embusy, Batan, Kabayan and
Bokod, and rest went westward to Mankayan, Bakun and Kibungan who
later migrated to Kapangan.
In the 13th century, in Ambanglo east of Bot-oan lived a settler by
the name Talgen who begot eight sons who spread out in search for
greener pastures. Odan, the eldest, went to Hapaw, Kiangan, Baglaw,
the second son, a hunter and a trader roamed around the place and
later settled at Mangkew, southern part of Buguias, while Mantac,
the third went to Lubon, Tadian. Kitongan, the fourth son, went to
Tad-ew and farmed at a mountain which is now Mt. Kitongan above the
Loo Valley. Malawmaw, the fifth son settled at Sanil near Tococan.
Belka, a trader, went to Bauko and lived there. Padyog, the seventh
brother went to Benalian (now Nueva Viscaya).
On the later part, some of the settlers of the different places of
Buguias again grouped themselves and settled and raised vegetables &
animals at Palatang, the northern part of Buguias where they cooked
asin (Salt) which they bartered and sold in other places.
The people worship “Kabunyan’’ as their God and creator. They
perform “Sida’’(Canao), caon(Wedding), pidet/pudan and perform other
rituals for good luck.
In the early 19th century, there was a great thief named “Samiklay’’
also now known as the “Robinhood of Buguias’’. They also called him
“Buzo’’, but not the connotation of a head hunter which the people
of Mt. Province calls one. He’s a descendent of Tagen. Everyday w/
his goons, he went to Palatang and other nearby places to steal and
take all that he wanted from the natives w/o their permission. With
these, the once close-knit settlers broke apart, some went back to
the original settlement of their forebears, some went to Ifugao, to
Mt. Province, to La Union, to Nueva Viscaya and to other nearby
As the years passed by, people from far places arrived for various
reasons ranging from trade and commerce, greener pasture and simply
fate. They had joined the growing community and later intermarriages
between them and the settlers brought forth varied languages and
customs. The fusion of different cultures as well as the isolations
of various villages created several ethnic tribes, viz: the
Kankanaeys, Ibalois, Kalanguyas, etc. all of which are called
Igorots. Buguias populace largely belong to the Kankanaey tribe
while a little percentage belongs to the Kalanguya tribe.
People in the municipality lies in the interstice of three
linguistic or cultural groups; two if these, the ibaloi and the
southern kankana-ey, are now recognized ethnologically, but the
third, the Kalanguya (or Kalahan), remains virtually ethnologically
Residents today are most related genealogically to the Kalanguya,
the village (called Mandek-ey or ibugiyas) while containing elements
of all three neighboring tongues, is also most close affiliated with
kalanguya. Over the past 60 years, however, Kankana-ey has
penetrated Southward into the village and today, the Mandek-ey
survives only in the Southern most hamlets of Buguias. As a result,
outsiders generally classify Buguias as a Southern Kankana-ey
community as distinguished from the Lepanto Igorot (Northern
The people of Buguias belong to the indigenous inhabitants of the
Cordillera collectively referred to as Igorots, a word which comes
from a combination of the Tagalog rootword “Golot” (Mountain Chain)
and a prefix “I”(dweller in or people of).
The Buguias people has a unique culture which is distinct from other
fellow igorot