Besao, Mountain Province

Besao
Municipality
Municipality of Besao

Seal

Map of Mountain Province with Besao highlighted
Besao
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°06′N 120°49′E / 17.1°N 120.82°E / 17.1; 120.82Coordinates: 17°06′N 120°49′E / 17.1°N 120.82°E / 17.1; 120.82
Country  Philippines
Region Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
Province Mountain Province
District Lone District
Barangays 14 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
 • Type Sangguniang Bayan
 • Mayor Wellington B. Pooten
 • Electorate 4,686 voters (2016)
Area [2]
 • Total 173.62 km2 (67.04 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
 • Total 7,040
 • Density 41/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code 2618
PSGC 144403000
IDD : area code  +63 (0)74
Climate Cwb
Income class 5th municipal income class
Revenue (₱) 58,849,629.20 (2016)
Native languages Kankanaey language
Balangao
Tagalog
Bontoc
Website besao.gov.ph

Besao, officially the Municipality of Besao is a 5th class municipality in the province of Mountain Province, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 7,040 people.[3]

The municipality of Besao is believed to have derived its name from the Ilocano word ”Buso”, meaning headhunter. The people then of the neighboring towns specifically those from the Ilocos Region believed that the early ”Besaos” were headhunters. The word later on evolved as it is now called – Besao.

The town is known for the Agawa people's Agricultural Stone Calendar of Gueday. The stone calendar is one of the most enigmatic artifact in the Cordillera mountains. It is a testimony to the accurate scientific outlook of the ancient Agawa people in the cycle of weathers, agriculture, and heavenly bodies.[4]

Barangays

Besao is politically subdivided into 14 barangays.

  • Agawa
  • Ambagiw
  • Banguitan
  • Besao East
  • Besao West
  • Catengan
  • Gueday
  • Lacmaan
  • Laylaya
  • Padangaan
  • Payeo
  • Suquib
  • Tamboan
  • Kin-iway (Poblacion.)

Demographics

The population of the town has been decreasing due to younger generations migrating to cities seeking for work.

Population census of Besao
YearPop.±% p.a.
1918 4,642—    
1939 5,144+0.49%
1948 5,799+1.34%
1960 8,174+2.90%
1970 9,286+1.28%
1975 7,051−5.37%
1980 9,093+5.22%
1990 8,473−0.70%
1995 9,147+1.44%
2000 9,875+1.66%
2007 7,295−4.09%
2010 7,818+2.55%
2015 7,040−1.98%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[3] [5] [6] [7]

Religion

Besao's main religion is animism. The town is one of the few animist towns in the southern Cordillera mountains. Much of its ancestral worship intangible heritage has been preserved by the older generations. However, the younger generations have been migrating to cities, making the animist religions of Besao in great danger in the long-term. Opportunistic Christian sects have been surfacing in the town since the younger generations have been moving into cities.

References

  1. ↑ "Municipality". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Province: Mountain Province". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Census of Population (2015). "Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. ↑ http://macrocosm-magbook.blogspot.com/2009/06/secrets-of-calendar-stone-of-besao.html
  5. ↑ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  6. ↑ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. NSO.
  7. ↑ "Province of Mountain Province". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
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