La Trinidad Socio-Economic & Physical Profile 2014 LA TRINIDAD PHYSICAL PROFILE & SOCIO-ECONOMIC 20141 I. PHYSICAL PROFILE General Location The capital town of Benguet Province, the Municipality of La Trinidad is located 256 kilometers north of Metro Manila. It is bounded on the north by the Municipality of Tublay, on the south by the city of Baguio, on the west by the Municipalities of Sablan and Tuba. Its geographical coordinates are 16 degrees, 21 minutes north latitude and 120 degrees and 35 minutes east longitude. The municipality is relatively the most developed settlement in the province of Benguet because of its proximity to the City of Baguio. It is the gateway of the southern lowlands into the Cordillera Region. Due to its advanced development, La Trinidad is considered as one of the Central Business Districts of Benguet. Philippines Cordillera Administrative Region Benguet Province Accessibility The municipality is accessible by land transport via the following entry points: from the Mt. Province through the Baguio-Bontoc Road; from La Union, through the Marcos Highway via the Pico-Lamtang; from Nueva Viscaya through the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road; from Pangasinan, through Kennon road. All these roads converge at the City of Baguio. The nearest airport is located in nearby Baguio City, Loakan airport. Baguio- Manila travels take about 45 minutes flight or a 7-hour ride via land. Total road kilometerage for the whole municipality is 135.2 kilometers. The road network in the municipality exhibits a strong linear type of settlement characterized by a circumferential road that services the valley floor. Accessibility in the rural areas is still relatively inadequate, with generally very narrow roads. Heavy road traffic is concentrated in its main road, the Baguio-Bontoc National Road which traverses the valley proper and to which all other roads originate. This road is the center of socio-economic activities for the municipality. The municipality has several radial-circumferential roads that branch out to provide access to interior barangays and sitios most of which are tire-path roads, generally not feasible for commercial traffic. 1 Prepared by the Research & Evaluation Section, Municipal Planning & Development Office, 2015. All data are based on 2014 data unless otherwise stated. 1 La Trinidad Socio-Economic & Physical Profile 2014 Several public utility vehicles ply around the urban core, majority of which, are public utility jeeps (PUJs). A few taxicabs ply the areas less served by the jeeps while neither buses nor mini-buses ply in the area, except for those buses that pass through the Baguio-Bontoc national road leading to the northern towns of Benguet. Municipality of La Trinidad General Map Land Area and Political Subdivisions Table 2: Comparative Urbanization of Barangays, 1990-2010 YEAR Area % to URBAN-RURAL CLASSIFICATION 2010 Density* CLUP (2000) BRGY (sq. km.) Total 1990 1995 2000 2007 2010 (persons/sq. km.) Classification Alapang 2.0122 2.49 Rural Urban Urban Urban Urban 2,073 Minor urban Alno 9.5835 11.86 Rural Rural Rural Rural Rural 213 Rural Ambiong 3.4203 4.23 Rural Rural Rural Urban Urban 1,878 Rural Bahong 6.5756 8.14 Rural Rural Rural Rural Urban 734 Rural Balili 1.1902 1.47 Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban 13,515 Major urban Beckel 9.513 11.77 Rural Rural Rural Rural Rural 363 Rural Betag 1.5692 1.94 Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban 4,374 Major urban Bineng 8.2543 10.22 Rural Rural Rural Rural Rural 180 Rural Cruz 0.5669 0.70 Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban 6,207 Minor urban Lubas 2.4059 2.98 Rural Urban Urban Urban Urban 2,324 Urban Pico 3.2936 4.08 Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban 5,547 Major urban Poblacion 1.0466 1.30 Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban 10,122 Major urban Puguis 10.2182 12.65 Rural Rural Rural Rural Urban 701 Rural Shilan 7.5099 9.30 Rural Rural Rural Rural Urban 577 Minor urban Tawang 2.476 3.06 Rural Urban Urban Urban Urban 3,011 Minor urban Wangal 11.1596 13.81 Rural Rural Rural Rural Rural 440 Rural Municipal 80.795 100 Rural Rural Rural Urban Urban 1,327 Source: Comprehensive Land Use Plan 2000-2010, *MPDO Computations La Trinidad has a total land area of 80.795125 square kilometers representing 2.7% of the total province area. It has sixteen (16) barangays namely: Alapang, Alno, Ambiong, Balili, Bahong, Beckel, Betag, Bineng, Cruz, Lubas, Pico, Poblacion, Puguis, Shilan, Tawang and Wangal. 2 La Trinidad Socio-Economic & Physical Profile 2014 Wangal is the largest barangay with an area of 11.159642 sq. km. constituting 13.81% of the municipality. Puguis is the second largest area with 10.2182 sq. km. or 12.65% of the municipal land area. The third largest barangay is Alno and the smallest barangay is Cruz with an area of 0.5659 sq. km. constituting 0.70% of the municipality. In the process of Updating the Municipality’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the next ten years, a new criteria for classifying barangays into an urban or rural was approved by the National Statistical Coordination Board, resolution no. 9 series of 2003. Following the criteria set forth, there is a slight change in the classification of the barangays in La Trinidad. Table 3: New Barangay Classification, 2014 Population Barangay Population Area (has) New Classification Density Ambiong 6,423 342.03 19 Urban Balili 16,086 119.02 135 Urban Betag 6,863 156.92 44 Urban Lubas 5,591 240.59 23 Urban Pico 18,271 329.36 55 Urban Poblacion 10,594 104.66 101 Urban Puguis 7,163 1021.82 7 Urban Tawang 7,456 247.6 30 Urban Wangal 4,907 1115.96 4 Urban Alapang 4,171 201.22 21 Rural Alno 2,046 958.35 2 Rural Bahong 4,828 657.56 7 Rural Beckel 3,453 951.3 4 Rural Bineng 1,487 825.43 2 Rural Cruz 3,519 56.69 62 Rural Shilan 4,330 750.99 6 Rural Total 107,188 8,079.50 13 Source: CLUP Draft 2014-2023, based on NSCB Res. No. 9 s. 2003 Table 4: Urban-Rural Area Municipal Area (hectares) 8,079.50 100.00% Total Urban Area 3,677.96 45.52% Total Rural Area 4,401.54 54.48% Source: CLUP Draft 2015-2025 Topography Characterized by steep mountains and high terrain, amidst the mountain peaks, is an approximately 350-hectare valley. Across the valley runs the major water body, the Balili River running from Baguio towards the eastern edge of the valley flowing to the north. The Wangal River, Bayabas, Pico and Puguis Creeks flowing from the mountainsides form the Bolo Creek which runs across the valley and converges with the Balili River at Poblacion. Draining from the Busol Watershed are Ambiong Creek, Lubas Creek, and Tawang Creek joining the Balili River from the south. Creeks in the northeast areas are separated into the east and west by the mountainous and northern part of Alno. Peril Creek has its basin at Bagto Mountain. It runs through the Alno Valley and reaches the Balili River. Moreover, waters from Alapang Creek come from Balili River flowing from Bahong Cave. The Gayasi River from Wangal also drains itself into the Balili River at Bineng. Prominent mountains are “Marlboro” mountain located at Beckel, Mount Mongo and Mount Mungao located at Bineng, Mount Yangbeo, Mount Kalugong and Tawang Mountains all located at Tawang and Mount Peripin Bato at Pico. In the center of the municipality is the valley located within the barangays of Betag, Pico, Balili and Poblacion surrounded by cliffs and huge mountains of limestone. 3 La Trinidad Socio-Economic & Physical Profile 2014 Slope La Trinidad valley is on plains with rising and falling slopes. It is bounded on the north and northwest by steep slopes. Comparatively gentle slopes are found from Cruz, Alapang, Bahong and Alno. The municipal mean slope is 40%. Steep (above the mean) slope areas include sitios Banengbeng, Oring, Amsalsal and Dilad in barangay Bineng. Relief is high with elevation ranging from 500 to 1,700 meters. The highest elevation is at 1,700 meters on the south- eastern portion near the Ambuklao Road at Beckel. The valley floor has an elevation of 1,300 meters above sea level. Bineng is the lowest barangay, with an elevation of 500 meters above sea level at the lowest point of Balili River. Table 5: Slope Distribution by Area and Percentage Description Slope Percentage Area ( in hectares) Percentage Level to nearly level 0.0 – 9.9 422 6.04 Gentle 10.0 – 19.9 880 12.60 Undulating 20.0 – 29.9 594 8.51 Moderately steep 30.0 – 39.9 2,102 30.11 Steep 40.0 – 49.9 866 12.40 Very Steep 50.0 – above 2,118 30.34 Total 6,982 Mean Slope 40.00 Source: Engineering Geological Hazard Studies of Earthquake- Affected Areas in Baguio and Benguet, Mines & Geo-Sciences Bureau, DENR-CAR, 1992. Climate Seasonal changes in the municipality are typical of the first type of climate under the Coronas Classification System, with rainy days from May to October followed by the dry spells from November to April. Table 6: Climatologically Normals (1971-2000) Mean Days RAINFALL # of TEMPERATURE ºC Vapor Relative Sea Wind Cloud w/ Days w/ Rain Dry Level Speed Thunde y Ma Mea Bul Wet Dew Pressure Humidity Pressu Directio mp Cover r Month (mm) Days x Min n b Bulb Pt. % re n s (octal) storm Lightning Jan 12.1 3 23 13 18 17 15.1 14 15.9 83 1012 SE 2 5 0 0 Feb 11.7 2 24 13 18.6 18 15.5 14.3 16.3 81 1011 SE 2 4 1 0 Mar 29.3 4 25 14 19.7 19 16.5 15.2 17.3 80 1011 SE 2 5 2 1 Apr 92.3 9 26 16 20.7 20 17.8 16.7 19 82 1009 SE 2 5 9 4 May 355.4 19 25 16 20.7 20 18.2 17.4 19.9 87 1008 SE 2 6 18 12 Jun 436.6 21 24 17 20.5 20 18.2 17.5 20 88 1007 SE 2 7 16 11 Jul 838.4 26 23 16 19.8 19 17.9 17.3 19.8 91 1006 SE 2 7 15 9 Aug 911.8 27 23 16 19.3 19 7.7 17.2 19.7 93 1006 NW 2 7 12 6 Sept 581.2 24 24 16 19.7 19 17.7 17.1 19.5 90 1007 SE 2 7 15 8 Oct 461.8 17 24 16 19.8 19 17.6 16.8 19.2 87 1008 SE 2 6 8 6 Nov 124.6 8 24 15 19.5 19 16.9 15.9 18.1 84 1009 SE 2 5 3 2 Dec 23.7 5 23 14 18.6 18 15.7 14.6 16.5 82 1010 SE 2 5 1 0 ANNUAL 3,879 165 24 15 19.6 19 17.1 16.2 18.4 86 1009 SE 2 6 100 59 Source : PAGASA, Station :328 Baguio-Benguet ; Latitude : 16 25’N ; Longitude : 120 36’E ; Elevation 1500m Rainfall Data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) shows that due to the La Niña and El Niño Phenomena, we experienced lower annual rainfall compared to the 30-year average from 1971 to 2000 and the previous years to the rainfall in 2012, with 111 mm of annual rainfall.