History and Government
Bokod was a small village that existed long before the coming of "foreign interventionist". It was known to be a forested area inhabited by mountain people depending mostly on their small agricultural produce for livelihood.
It was only during the discovery of its agricultural potential by a man named “Ebokot” that the village began to prosper. This fellow was a businessman from a small barrio in the nearby Kabayan. His name is an Ibaloi term meaning “crooked backbone”. The accidental discovery of the village’s agricultural potentials was made possible during one of Eboko'ts business trips to Kayapa, a nearby town of Nueva Vizcaya.
After the trip, Ebokot decided to inhabit the place and started introducing agricultural development. Due to his commendable achievement, Ebokot became popular. Ebokot was so known to everybody that they started calling the small village where he lived, “the place of Ebokot”, later misspelled as Bokod.
During the American Regime, Local Civil Governments were established in Benguet. Under Act No. 48 enacted on November 22, 1900, Benguet consisted of 19 municipalities among them Ambuclao, Bokod and Daclan. By virtue of an Executive Order issued by the Governor General of the Philippines sometime in 1910, the township of Ambuclao and Daclan among others were abolished and became barangays of Bokod Municipal District. After surviving a series of township re-organization, Bokod now remains as one of the thirteen regular municipalities of the province of Benguet.
The leaders of Bokod in various years were: Suminsin Ogues (1901), Domerez Pocay (1902), Kimino Piolet (1903), Doma-ang Solano (1904), Kiwa (1905), Francisco Velasco (1906-1907), Bayeng Gabriel (1908-1909), Villasi (1910-1911), Cabanes Durante (1912-1913), Camti (1914-1915), Cosalan (1915-1916), Balanac Velasco (1916-1917), and Bisdja Tinow-an (1917-1918). For 1918-1920, no record is available and in 1920-1922, Igme Lamsis was the local chief executive followed by Matiog Solano (1923-1924), Billy Lamsis (1925-1926), Shongcuan Tiapong (1926-1928), Pascual Agpaoan (1929-1931), Noefe Lamsis (1932-1935), Ngali Galasgas (1935-1937), Dibsan Diwas (1938-1940), Domasi Galasgas (1942-1943), Jose Piok (1944), Ngali Galasgas (1946), Ricardo Topeng (1947-1949), Jose Piok (1950-1952), Donato Ignacio (1953-1955), Baltazar Fernando (1956-1967), Eugene Badival (1968-1979), Alberto Cuilan (1980-1986), George Gomez (1986-1988) and Maurillo Felipe (1988-1992). At present, Mayor Alberto Cuilan is now on his third term as mayor having won the post from 1992 up to 2001.
Bokod is composed of 10 barangays, namely: Ambuclao, Bila, Bobok-Bisal, Daclan, Ekip, Karao, Nawal, Pito, Poblacion and Tikey. These ten barangays form 7% of the 137 barangays of Benguet.
Bokod is entirely within the Central Cordillera Reservation as mandated by Proclamation No. 217 since February 16, 1929. It is found along the southern part of Benguet at approximately 120°40" to 120°50" east longitude and 16°20" north latitude. It is bounded on the north by Kabayan, on the south by Itogon, on the west by Atok, and on the east by Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya.
Bokod is the second largest municipality of Benguet with a land area of 39,640 has. or 13.40% of the Benguet total land area of 275,258 has. Among the barangays, Ambuclao has the largest land area with 7,531.600 has. while Karao has the smallest with 1,010.820 has.
The municipality's terrain is mountainous with mountain peaks and ridges and valleys. Some of these peaks significantly reach an elevation of up to 2,098 meters above sea level. The municipality is also characterized by rugged mountainous terrain with patches of gently sloping terrain along or near riverbanks and along foothills and mountains.
Generally, Bokod has a slope of 15% to 30% being utilized as built-up and agricultural areas. Forest reserve areas may reach a slope of 50% or more. Due to its mountainous terrain, creeks and natural depressions are common features seen as one travels to Bokod. The main drainage or catchment area however is the Ambuclao Reservoir/Dam impounding the waters of the Agno River. Benguet Pine and Alnos are the dominant vegetation covering the municipality.
The municipality's climate belongs to the Type I of climate classification characterized by two pronounced seasons, the wet and the dry season. The dry season starts in November and lasts until April while the wet or rainy season extends from May to October.
Being a reservation area and due to the presence of the Ambuclao Hydro-Electric Plant, Bokod logically becomes a watershed area or forest conservation zone. Moreover, all lands within the territorial jurisdiction of the municipality are all public lands; hence, subject to development restrictions such as non-alienable and non-disposable.
Based on the land classification prepared by the DENR, Bokod is classified into five distinct classifications, namely: production forest, agro-forest, agricultural and alienable and disposable. Alienable and disposable lands share only but a small portion with only 1,616 hectares out of the 39,640 hectares total land area of Bokod.
The municipality's existing land use is as follows: built-up area - 183.068 has., agricultural - 2,160.894 has., agro-forest - 1,205.238 has., open space - 3,136.716 has., forest area - 32,119.784 has., utilities - 65.164 has., creeks/rivers - 703.579 has. and circulation systems - 65.557 has.
Based on the 1995 Census of Population, Bokod has a population of 10,526 distributed to 2,109 families. The male comprises 52.36% or 5,511 and 47.64% females or 5,015. Majority of the population belong to the age group 5-9 with 1,409, age group 1-4 with 1,178 and the age group 10-14 with 1,188. The least populated age group is under age 1. The population is predominantly composed of farmers, hunters and loggers who speak mainly the dialects of Ibaloi and Ikalahan. Among the barangays, Ambuklao is the most populated with 2,199 while Daclan is the least populated with 302. As to number of households, Daclan has the most with 1,401 while Nawal has the least with 110.
As to dialect, Ibaloi is the most widely spoken consisting 72.31% of the total number of households. Ikalahan is the second most spoken dialect comprising 10.32% of the total number of households. The remaining percentage is distributed among various dialects.
Of the total municipal land area of 36,829.53 has., only 2,651 has. are devoted to agriculture or 7.2%. Farmers could have at least three (3) croppings in one year in irrigated areas and only twice in non-irrigated areas.
Many farmers engaged in rice planting are still using traditional rice varieties that give them only two croppings a year. The same is true to vegetable farmers who till their farmland twice a a year due to lack of supplies and materials for planting.
Aside from agriculture, Bokod is well known for its small scale industries such as basket-weaving, bamboocraft, blacksmithing, hollow block making, bakery, pocket mining and pine needle craft. These are all home/family operated scattered to the different barangays of the municipality.
Business establishments present in the municipality are limited to small establishments such as sari-sari stores and the like.
Tourist Attractions and Places of Interest
By: DILG-CAR, Copyright 1999
Vol. I - Local Government Units