The Bontoc Profile

Bontoc is located at the heart of Mountain Province- one of the six provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).  The town’s boundaries are: to the North is Kalinga; to the south is Ifugao; to the East are Lepanto and Abra; and to the West is Isabela.

 Bontoc has a generally mountainous and hilly topography – a feature which is essentially beneficial. The surrounding mountains protect the town from the bashing of strong typhoons.  Throughout the rainy season, Bontoc more often escapes the wrath and destruction of weather disturbances.

The municipality  has a moderate climate which supports the growth of its major crops: rice, sweet potatoes, legumes and some fruits.

One of the landmarks of Bontoc is the Chico River. This river system, which passes through three provinces, is a major water resource. In Bontoc, the Chico River is used for irrigation, domestic activities and for amusement. 

Bontoc is home to the Bontoks, a people originally known to be the fiercest of the tribes of the province. In modern times, however, the municipality has welcomed other settlers from nearby towns and provinces as it slowly grows into premiere economic zone in the Cordilleras.

Age old cultural structures and practices could still be observed in many communities today even when the present generations embrace foreign religious and secular convictions and principles. Essentially, how the people manage to keep their culture intact despite the entry of religion and the fast pace of development makes them different from their lowland brothers who gradually lost traces of their past.