Municipality of La Trinidad And It's Local Views
22Short Brief History
BARANGAY POBLACION
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Pre-Spanish Period
Poblacion was part of what was then known as “Benget” (La Trinidad). “Benget” constituted of the valley area as well as the scattered settlements that were at the foot of the surrounding mountains. Records do not show if there were settlements in the area of Poblacion. The area of Poblacion was where some of the game roamed and where residents of the settlements from Pico and Puguis hunted.
It is noted that there was a great earthquake and typhoon in 1641 which flooded the valley. This flood wiped out whole settlements in the area. It is not known if there were survivors of the flood.
Spanish Period
La Trinidad was rediscovered in 1846 by Commandante Guillermo Galvey. It was Galvey who renamed Benget after his wife, Doṅa Trinidad. The Spaniards established political control over the area, creating the District of Benguet at Puguis.
At the site of the present Provincial Capitol seated the Spanish Presidencia, thus called the “Poblacion”. The old Presidencia was a result of a forced labor. Free labor from different Rancherias excavated the site. People used primitive tools such as pointed wooden materials for digging, and baskets and wooden planes for transporting soil. As a form of tribute to Spanish Government, many men were forced to provide labor for the construction needs of the Spaniards.
The construction of trail linking Baguio to Tublay was realized through forced labor. From Baguio, it followed the Balili River, turned left toward Pico, Puguis and Buyagan and made a loop around the valley. The same Baguio-Tublay Spanish trail passed through the Poblacion ran across the Balili River and ended at Cruz.
A convent was also established at the site of the present La Trinidad Central School. The Spaniards established residence at Poblacion. But the church was later moved to Pico.
A school was likewise established but the place of the site is undisclosed. Among the early students were Garcia (older brother of Baban), Rombis, and Kantores from Pico. The Spanish school was short-lived because of the absence of interested students.
Poblacion and Pico were planted with corn and coffee. Again, a ten- day tribute was partly devoted to coffee-planting. Some workers were also hired to plant coffee at three to five centavos per day.
American Period
Soon after the Americans arrived, they established a school made out of cogon at Poblacion in 1905. They encouraged enrolling by giving them a pair of shorts and some t-shirts. Among the first students were Baban, Feliciano Hidalgo, Dalmacio Lubas and Marcos Salming. In about the fourth year of the school’s operation, it closed down due to lack of students.
Contemporary Period
Unlike the other barangays of La Trinidad, Poblacion was mostly settled by lowlanders who have intermarried with the Ibalois. Today, Poblacion boasts of becoming an educational and institutional center.
Source File: https://latrinidad.gov.ph/profile/barangay-profiles/barangay-poblacion-profile/history-pob/#:~:text=La%20Trinidad%20was%20rediscovered%20in,District%20of%20Benguet%20at%20Puguis.
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