The Indigenous Culture of Benguet and Its Connection to Baguio

By 2009, the Ibaloy people—the original inhabitants of what is now Baguio City—had become a minority in their own ancestral homeland. This demographic shift was the legacy of a colonial land grab that began in 1903, when the American government enacted ACT No. 636 to expropriate Ibaloy territory for a new summer capital. The creation of the Ibaloy Heritage Garden in Burnham Park marked a deliberate reversal of that erasure. Today, the garden functions as a living cultural space where indigenous traditions are practiced, taught, and celebrated—not preserved behind glass.

The garden’s significance extends beyond the city limits. The Ibaloy are one of the major indigenous groups of Benguet province, and this site in Burnham Park represents a tangible link between the province’s ancestral domain and the city that displaced its original stewards. Annual Ibaloy Day celebrations, recognized by Presidential Proclamation No. 1125 as a special non-working day in Baguio City, have grown into a province-wide observance. Benguet Vice Governor Maria Rose Fong-wan Kepes confirmed the provincial government’s endorsement and coordination with the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Three Pillars of the Heritage Garden

The three physical anchors of the garden each serve a distinct role in cultural revival. The Avong echoes the pre-colonial village gathering space, the Ba-ëng preserves food and ecological knowledge passed down through generations, and the Mateo Cariño monument grounds the site in the legal and political history of land rights. Together, they create what garden advocates describe as a space where culture is transmitted rather than merely displayed—a distinction that matters for indigenous communities whose traditions depend on practice, not preservation alone.

Displacement, Decline, and the Turn Toward Revival

The history of the Ibaloy Heritage Garden is inseparable from the century of displacement that preceded it. Before American colonization, the site was part of the ancestral domain of Mateo Cariño and his wife Bayosa Ortega. Pre-colonially called Apni, it was a pastureland with a natural creek and watering hole named Miñac—what is now Burnham Lake. Architect Daniel Burnham’s plan for Baguio as a garden city and summer capital led directly to the expropriation of Ibaloy land, displacing families who had lived there for generations.

By 2009, Ibaloys in Baguio had declining opportunities to practice their culture. Cañao rituals, central to Ibaloy spiritual life, were held rarely due to resource constraints. The Heritage Garden was conceived as a direct response to this erosion. Ibaloy leaders, led by Cecile Afable, lobbied the Baguio City Council for recognition—resulting in Resolution No. 395 (2009) declaring February 23 as Ibaloy Day, and Resolution No. 182 (2010) designating the garden site and Mateo Cariño monument location. The first Ibaloy Day on February 23, 2010 featured traditional food, dances (tayao, bendian), music (solibao, kalsa), storytelling (ba-diw), pine seedling planting, a time capsule burial, and the launch of a language guidebook.

What changed the trajectory was sustained advocacy paired with institutional action. The garden didn’t emerge from a single ordinance—it took community organizing, city council negotiations, and years of navigating the same development pressures that had originally displaced Ibaloy families. The 17th Ibaloy Day in 2026, themed “Bu-day Shiya Bagiw Mekajo-an say Waray Pan-aadivayan,” was held at Melvin Jones Grandstand, authorized under Presidential Proclamation No. 1125.

The Fine Print of Recognition

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The bureaucratic path to recognition reveals how much groundwork cultural revival requires. The Baguio City Council resolutions were only the beginning: the Avong had to be built through aduyon, with community members contributing labor and materials. The Ba-ëng needed ongoing maintenance, which PIKP supported during the pandemic by developing educational videos, training modules, and coordinating student learning visits. Annual Ibaloy Day programming is organized by Onjon ne Ivadoy, the Ibaloy cultural organization that continues to coordinate with the provincial government and partner institutions.

One detail that often catches people off guard: the site between the Baguio Orchidarium and Children’s Park, entered via a side street beside the Rose Garden, was not originally designated as a cultural space. It became one because Ibaloy leaders identified it as the most visible location for a monument to Mateo Cariño—literally reclaiming symbolic territory within the very park system built on expropriated land. The garden’s existence is itself a legal and spatial negotiation, not a simple gift of recognition.

How to Engage with Ibaloy Culture in Baguio

Visit the Heritage Garden Year-Round

The Ibaloy Heritage Garden is accessible via a side street beside the Rose Garden in Burnham Park, between the Baguio Orchidarium and Children’s Park. The Avong, Ba-ëng, and Mateo Cariño monument are permanent installations, so the site is available outside special events. The Ba-ëng is maintained as an active learning site, meaning visitors can see traditional Ibaloy home gardening practices in real cultivation rather than a static exhibit.

Plan Around Ibaloy Day (February 23)

This is the most immersive opportunity to experience Ibaloy culture. The day features traditional dances (tayao, bendian), music (solibao, kalsa), storytelling (ba-diw), and indigenous food. Presidential Proclamation No. 1125 designates February 23 as a special non-working day in Baguio City, so the celebration carries official weight. The venue rotates; the 17th celebration was at Melvin Jones Grandstand. Coordination passes through Onjon ne Ivadoy and the provincial government, making the event both community-led and institutionally supported.

Learn from the Ba-ëng Resources

For travelers interested in indigenous food systems and sustainable agriculture, the Ba-ëng offers documented knowledge. Vicky Macay’s book Welcome to our Ba-ëng and PIKP’s educational materials provide deeper context on traditional Ibaloy home gardening. Student learning visits are coordinated through the garden, making it a resource for schools and researchers. This is a particularly valuable angle for visitors looking beyond Baguio’s tourist mainstream for meaningful engagement with local culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What This Means for Your Visit to Baguio

The Ibaloy Heritage Garden offers something rare in a city built on tourism: a space where indigenous culture is the subject, not the backdrop. It won’t appear on most Session Road walking tours or souvenir maps. But that’s precisely its value—it asks visitors to understand Baguio as Ibaloy ancestral land, not just a summer destination. Before you plan your trip, check whether your visit coincides with Ibaloy Day on February 23, and make time to walk the side street beside the Rose Garden. That short detour connects you to a history most tourists never see.

If this was useful, you might also want to read our guide to experiencing Baguio beyond its usual tourist spots.

Sources

The Ibaloy Heritage Garden: A Lifeline for Indigenous Culture and Values in Baguio City. Partners for Indigenous Knowledge Philippines. — Detailed history of the garden from pre-colonial Apni to the 2009–2010 council resolutions and the 1st Ibaloy Day.

Benguet Eyes Ordinance to Institutionalize Ibaloy or IP Day. Baguio Herald Express. — Reports on the 17th Ibaloy Day, Presidential Proclamation No. 1125, and Benguet’s endorsement of the observance.

The Ibaloy Heritage Garden: A Lifeline for Indigenous Culture and Values in Baguio City. Transformative Pathways, 2024.