Tublay, officially the Municipality of Tublay, (Ilocano: Ili ti Tublay; Tagalog: Bayan ng Tublay), is a

5th class municipality in the province of Benguet, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a

population of 17,892 people.

Geography

Tublay is located at 16°31′N 120°37′E, at the central portion of Benguet. It is bounded

by Kapangan on the north, Atok on the east, Itogon and Bokod on the southeast, La Trinidad on the
west, and Sablan on the northwest.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 102.55 square
kilometres (39.59 sq mi) [2] constituting 3.70% of the 2,769.08-square-kilometre- (1,069.15 sq mi)
total area of Benguet.
The topography is generally mountainous with an elevation of 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) above sea
level. It has two pronounced seasons - the dry and the wet seasons with a temperature coldest at
6.5 °C (43.7 °F) and warmest at 27.5 °C (81.5 °F). There are 2 seasons for Tublay, Benguet will be
wet season from May to October and dry season from November to April.
The municipality is located 263 kilometres (163 mi) north of Manila and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north
of Baguio.
Tublay is politically subdivided into 8 barangays.[5] Ambassador is the largest barangay in terms
of land area (11.52 km²), while Tuel is the smallest (4.79 km²).

PSGC Barangay Population ±% p.a.

2015[3] 2010[6]

141114001 Ambassador 28.8% 5,160 4,799 ▴ 1.39%

141114002 Ambongdolan 5.4% 968 980 ▾ −0.23%

141114003 Ba-ayan 10.0% 1,784 1,736 ▴ 0.52%

141114004 Basil 7.1% 1,278 1,198 ▴ 1.24%

141114005 Daclan 13.3% 2,378 1,937 ▴ 3.98%

141114006 Caponga (Poblacion) 24.0% 4,295 4,049 ▴ 1.13%

141114007 Tublay Central 4.8% 858 896 ▾ −0.82%

141114008 Tuel 6.5% 1,171 960 ▴ 3.86%

1.49%
TOTAL 17,892 16,555 ▴
The Ibaloi, Kankana-ey and the Kalanguya indigenous people inhabit the municipality of Tublay town
of Benguet. The town is known for its wonderful tourist destinations, to name a few, the Bengaongao
cave, Winaca Village, and the Tuel hot spring.
Interestingly, its people perform the age-old cañao which is part of its rich culture and tradition. The
cañao is a community feast, following some rituals performed by the community. Each indigenous
group have their own term for cacao: the Kankana-ey call it sida, the Ibaloi peshet, and the
Kalanguya kecheng.
A cañao may be performed by a family or by the whole community, where the latter would be a
grand cañao. Cañao may be performed for thanksgiving, healing, marriage and different
ceremonies. It is generally celebrated with prayers by the Mambunong (an elder recognized to
perform the traditional prayers). Aside from the prayers, traditional dances called tayao and bendian
are offered. On this occasion, food, including wat-wat (big slices of meat) and tapey (traditional rice
wine) are offered. The celebration may last for two to three days depending on the nature of the
occasion.
In today’s modern times, many of the native traditions are slowly disintegrating or adopting to social
changes. The cañao, usually performed in the community, still has the authentic dances and food
but sometimes a modern evangelical church service is included. There are communities that do not
perform the cañao anymore. The main reason is because the practice costs much money, especially
for the required pigs to be butchered.
Another reason cited by Lakay (elder) Adawey is that the mambunongs who perform the traditional
rituals and prayers are now aged. Some elders already left this world without teaching this special
skill (of performing the ritual) to the youth of today.
I believe that one of the reasons for the disintegration of our culture is that the youth do not
appreciate its importance. They believe they can live in this modern world by setting aside these
practices. Even the skills of playing the gangsa or gong fails to draw interest from the youth.
Culture refers to the meaningful practices in our community. It includes the ritual for thanks giving for
a bountiful harvest and for the good health of the umili, the people in the community. It provides
social norms or roles that make us significant members of the community. We are now living in a
modern period of cultural diversity. Some say that our culture remains and can persist. But with the
changing times, we have to move now to support its persistence.
Culture represents an adjustment to the various conditions in life, including the physical, social, and
supernatural environment. In order to preserve our culture; one must appreciate the beauty of it.
Although we are living in a modern world, it is not bad if we still perform it, because it is the culture
we have grown up with and that we need to preserve.

The Bendian Dance, some called it Bendayan or Bindiyan is a circle dance that is long known as a
dance to celebrate the arrival of successful headhunters. It is a part of every Benguet festivity with
the circles slowly giving way to other formations and interpretations.  The circular movements of the
dance symbolizes unity and harmony among the people of Benguet.

TUBLAY QUICK FACTS

ARMANDO I. LAURO
Mayor:
JUAN L. ESNARA
Vice Mayor:
   
Land Area (in Hectares): 10,255
Total Population*: 16,555
No. of Registered Voters**: 8,533
Income Class: 5TH CLASS
No. of Barangays: 8
Official Website: www.tublay.weebly.com
 
History and Government
 
The municipality of Tublay started as a township which was organized by the American Government
under Act No. 48 in November 1900.
 
In the middle of 1899, although not yet a town at the time, Tublay figured prominently in the Hispanic-
American History of the Philippines and the province of Benguet when one of its prominent sons by the
name of Juan Ora Cariño was appointed and became the first Governor of Benguet when the Province
was organized under the albeit short-lived, Republic of the Philippines, when headed by President Emilio
Aguinaldo.
 
In the early 1900, near the end of the First Philippine Republic, Tublay became the evacuation site of the
Benguet Provincial Government headed by Juan Cariño. Pursuing American Forces forced the Provincial
and other Katipunan officials out of La Trinidad. It was in Tublay, that the head of President Aguinaldo’s
cabinet, Pedro Paterno and his assistant secretary, Julian Gorona, were captured in April of 1900 by the
American Forces. Governor Juan Cariño, who was shot in the leg, managed somehow to escape but was
later captured in May of the same year near Bucao, Kabayan.
 
Following the capture of Benguet province leaders and other officials of the Revolutionary Government of
President Aguinaldo, peace settled very quickly within the province. Towards the end of 1900, the
Americans established in Benguet Province the first Provincial Civil Government in the Philippines under
the American Government in Baguio as the capital town. With this continuing development, popular
representatives of the people to the American Insular Government were installed towards 1901 and
another son of Tublay, a younger brother of Juan Ora Cariño, by the name of Mateo Cariño, who was a
resident of Baguio, was elected as the first popular representative to the chief executive of the American
Insular Government.
 
In the post-Commonwealth period (1946-1982), with the Philippines as a sovereign state, Tublay
continued to provide political leaders for the province of Benguet and the city of Baguio. Hence, it was
dubbed as the “Athens of Benguet”.
 
In 1971, a native son of Tublay, Baltazar Acop Depaynos, was elected and served as member of the
Benguet Provincial Board up to 1979 when he retired from the government service. He was a grandson of
Bangilan Acop and a son of Fernando Cosalan, both of whom were former town presidents of Tublay
under the American Government. Prior to his service with the provincial board, Baltazar Depaynos also
served for three consecutive terms (1956-1967) as mayor of Bokod municipality.
Another native son of Tublay who was also a grandson of Bangilan Acop, Poredo Acop Depaynos, after
whom Acop’s place in the Poblacion was named, was also elected and served as mayor of Kabayan.
 
From 1965 to 1982, the province of Benguet and the city of Baguio were represented in the Batasang
Pambansa by a native son of Tublay. He was Andres Acop Cosalan, youngest son of Fernando Cosalan,
and also a grandson of Bangilan Acop.
From 1988, Tublay was headed by Mayor Joseph Cosente. In 1998, Willy Velasco was elected as mayor
for a period of three years (1998-2001).
 
Tublay is politically subdivided into 8 barangays, namely: Ambassador, Ambongdolan, Ba-ayan, Basil,
Caponga, Daclan, Tublay-Central, and Tuel.
 
 
 BARANGAY POPULATION*
1 Ambassador 4,799
 2 Ambongdolan 980
 3 Ba-ayan 1,736
 4 Basil 1,198
5 Daclan 1,937
6 Caponga (Poblacion) 4,049
7 Tublay Central 896
8 Tuel 960
References:
    *   - 2010 NSO Census of Population
    **  - 2010 Partial Data from COMELEC
 
Its Land
 
Tublay is geographically located 163 km. north of Manila and 13 km. north of Baguio City. It has an
estimated land area of about 5,730 hectares, representing about 2.2% of the total provincial land area.
Among the barangays, Ambassador has the largest land area with 1,152.0 has. representing 20% of the
total municipal land area. The smallest is Tuel with 479 has. or 7% of the total municipal land area.
 
The municipality's topography is generally mountainous having an elevation of 1,400 meters above sea
level. It has two pronounced seasons- the dry and the wet seasons with a temperature coldest at 6.5°C
and warmest at 27.5°C.
 
 
Its Inhabitants
 
The municipality has a total population of 13,504 recorded by the National Statistics Office in 1995. The
population is distributed to 2,443 households with an average household size of 5.43 and an annual
population growth rate of 2.74% covering the year 1990-1995.
 
Most of the populace are Ibalois, Kankanaeys and Kalanguyas and speaking Ibaloi, Kankanaey,
Kalanguya and Ilokano.
 
 
Its Economy
 
Agriculture being the major industry of the people, has a total area of 3,713 has. Of the total agricultural
land, only 1,671 hectares are irrigated while 2,042 hectares are rainfed. Key crops include vegetables,
root crops, palay, banana, flowers and coffee.
 
 Tourist Attractions and Places of Interest
 Bengaongao Cave
 Bungis Cave
 Tey-tey Cave
 Ketong Cave
 Asin Hot Spings