Benguet [be흯ˈɡet] is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon.

Its capital is La Trinidad and borders, clockwise from the south, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain

Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya.

Baguio, a popular tourist destination in the country, is located in the interior of the province, however, the city

 is independent of the province.

People and culture

Cordilleran, is an unofficial and relatively recent term for the people of the hill tribes of Luzon, Philippines, who

are residing in the Cordillera region. This term is an attempt at political correctness, since a current term, Igorot, has caused controversy due to its perceived negative stigma.

Languages

Most of the tribes in Benguet have their own languages. The Ibaloi tribe speak Ibaloy, which is similar to

Pangasinan. The Kankana-ey tribe speak have their own language, which is related to the Bontoc language.

Many inhabitants also speak Ilocano, Tagalog, and English for trade and commerce.

The SIL Ethnologue database [1] classifies the languages under the South-Central Cordilleran branch.

Nabaloy (named in the database as Ibaloi) is part of the Southern Cordilleran branch which also includes

Pangasinense. The Kankana-ey language (named in the database as Kankanaey) is under the Central

Cordilleran branch, which also includes Bontoc and Ifugao.

Economy

Agriculture, mining, and tourism are the major industries in Benguet. Because of its temperate climate and

high altitude, Benguet is an ideal place for producing vegetables. Benguet is often called the Salad Bowl of the

Philippines. During February 2007, Benguet suffered crop damage due to freezing temperatures in the area,

reaching as low as 5 Celsius and even lower in some areas, and important crops like cabbages were damaged.

Major crops include potatoes, Baguio beans, peas, strawberries, cabbage, lettuce, and carrots. Other

agricultural-related activities are monggo processing, fruit preservation, peanut brittle manufacturing, broom

making, basket weaving, and flower growing. Apisang (scientific name: Pittosporum resiniferum), a plant

endemic to the Philippines, is also being grown in Kapangan and Kibungan towns as a potential alternative

source of fuel and energy, rivaling the overhyped jatropha biofuel plant.