Amazing Benguet heritage sites to be preserved

By Susan Aro

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – This province is teeming with heritage sites  and these will be preserved with a measure authored by provincial board member Bals Dalus.

This is  provided  under Republic Act 10066 or the  "National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009,"Dalus said.

Provincial Tourism operations officer Clarita Prudencio, said their office identified heritage sites and events which needed preservation.

These included Pyramid or the Kineppol ni Nabaloi located at the Poblacion municipal ground, which was constructed around three centuries ago and tomb of Henry A. Kamora, the Grand Old Man of Kabayan.

Others are Tinongshol and Bangao Burial Caves, abode of centuries-old mummies;  Mt. Pulag, highest peak in Luzon and second in the country; Mt. Timbac  with its burial caves and  centuries- old mummies; imprinted large footprints on big solid rocks believed to be footprints of the legendary “Besang” found in barangays Ducan, Adaoay and Pacso; Tabalan Hill;  Embosi, the first Ibaloi settlement found in Pacso; Bulalakaw Lake, the abode of the huge flying fish called “Bulalakaw”;  Dabonay Yard in barangay Kabayan Barrio where Dabonay, the lone husky Kabayan lady heroine wrestled and pinned down a male enemy; Carino Cave in Talukip, Eddet where then Governor Ora Cariño hid and was later captured by the Americans in 1900;  and Manenchen, the site of the massacre of the residents of Eddet during the Japanese Imperial Army.

Other historical sites include those in Kapangan namely Camp Utopia, the sanctuary of the 66th Infantry Regime-Philippine Army in World War II; Darew Ancient Ruins of Civilization  on the top of the mountain where trading, intermarriage and alliances were forged;  Katampan Burial Ground in Bileng-Bilis and  Dakiwagan Burial Ground in Balakbak.

In Buguias is the Mummy Apo Anno Cave in Nabalicong, the adobe of the legendary Benguet mummy Apo Anno stolen from his ancient burial cave sometime in the 1920s, and returned in 1998.

For cultural sites, the Talingguroy Burial Ground in Wangal and the Peril Mummy Cave in Alapang in La Trinidad and the Mt. Sto Tomas Burial Sites 1 and 2 found in Tuba.

Cultural events are also counted as heritage like the Bendiyan Festival held every May and the Adivay every November.

Dalus said there are heritage sites yet to be identified and validated by the Provincial Tourism Office.