Spanish colonial era

The area of the Cordillera mountains proved difficult to control by the Spaniards. During the long Spanish rule, not much was done to bring the province under control. From 1566 to 1665, they sent expeditions to conquer the land but the rugged terrain and hostile indigenous population at the time were major obstacles to complete subjugation.^[9] The first serious effort to subjugate them was made in 1785 when soldiers were sent from Cagayan to put down a revolt of the Kalingas. A famous Spanish explorer, Guillermo Galvez, conducted more than 40 forays to the mountainous region.^[10]

Formerly called La Montañosa by the Spanish colonizers due to its mountainous terrain,^[6][11] the area was subdivided into 6 comandancias politico-militar.^[12]

American colonial era

Mountain Province
Former province of the Philippines
1908-1966
The province in 1918
Capital	Baguio
History
• Established	June 18, 1908
• Disestablished	April 7, 1967
Preceded by Succeeded by Lepanto-Bontoc Benguet Cagayan Nueva Vizcaya Benguet Mountain Province Ifugao Kalinga-Apayao
Today part of	Cordillera Administrative Region

On August 19, 1908, during the American rule, the Philippine Commission enacted Act No. 1876, which organized the entire area of the Cordilleras into one large province, named Mountain Province.^{[3][5][6][13]}

The first governor was Samuel Cane, and the town of Bontoc was made the capital. It was originally composed of the sub-provinces of Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet, Lepanto-Bontoc, Ifugao and Kalinga.^[5][11]

Bontoc sub-province in 1918

Amburayan was later abolished in 1920 and its corresponding territories were transferred to the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union. Lepanto was also reduced in size and its towns were integrated into the sub-provinces of Bontoc and Benguet, and to the province of Ilocos Sur.^{[9][14] [15]}

Philippine independence

Effective on April 7, 1967, Republic Act No. 4695 abolished the old Mountain Province, converting its sub-provinces into 4 independent provinces: Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao and Mountain Province (corresponding to the former Bontoc sub-province).^[6][8][11]

Mountain Province would have been significantly affected by the Chico River Dam Project during the Marcos administration, as the Marcos regime's project would have flooded the municipalities of Sabangan, Sagada, Sadanga, Bontoc, Bauko, and parts of Barlig.^[16] However, the indigenous peoples of Kalinga Province and Mountain Province resisted the project and when hostilities resulted in the murder of Macli-ing Dulag, the project became unpopular and was abandoned before Marcos was ousted by the 1986 People Power Revolution coup de etat.^[17]

On June 15, 1987, the Cordillera Administrative Region was established upon the issuance of Executive Order 220 by then-President Corazon Aquino, and Mountain Province was made one of its provinces.^[9][18][19]

Administrative divisions

Mountain Province comprises ten municipalities, all encompassed by a lone legislative district.^[20]

Political divisions

Barangays

Mountain Province has 144 barangays comprising its 10 municipalities.^[22]

As of 2010, the most populous barangay in the province is Poblacion in the municipality of Paracelis, with a total of 5,687 inhabitants. Balintaugan in the municipality of Bauko has the least population with only 144.^[22]

Religion

An Anglican church in Sagada

Anglicanism predominates in the province with approximately 60% adherence with the other religions such as Roman Catholicism, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Iglesia Filipina Indepiendente, Iglesia ni Cristo and Free Believers in Christ Fellowship Members Church of God International (MCGI)

Mountain Province is the only predominantly Protestant province in the Philippines.

List of recent governors

• 2001–2004 — Sario M. Malinias
• 2004–2010 — Maximo B. Dalog
• 2010–2016 — Leonard G. Mayaen
• 2016–present — Bonifacio C. Lacwasan Jr.