How Baguio’s Barangays Got Their Names Part I

How did our different barangays here in Baguio get their names? The Saint Louis University (SLU) Library and Museum staff thought this was worth researching. Last January, during SLU’s foundation day celebration at Melvin Jones, I had a fun time visiting the SLU Library and Museum’s booth which presented several panels listing down the names of Baguio’s barangays and a brief history of their names.

As I was reading over these panels, I recalled three places I know and a few details about their names. For instance, Otucan in Bauko, where I was born, used to be known as "Kiodan." Mainit in Bontoc was called "Chonglian" before some lowlander gave it its current name. Sabangan? Until now this village has plenty of saba (bananas);-)

Well, here’s the first installment of what I got from the SLU Library and Museum (reproduced here in toto).

ABCR – Acronyms for Andres Bonifacio, Caguioa and Rimando

Ambiong – Named after a bee species that is said to have once produced the sweetest honey among all the local bee species, which abounded in the place during the olden times.

Atok Trail – So called since it was the road that led to Atok Gold Mines.

Balsigan – From the Ilocano word pagbalsigan (a place for chopping wood). So called since most of the residents then were engaged in chopping wood, which they sold to the rich people for their fireplaces.

Brookside – So called because it is alongside a winding brook that snakes through the roofing hills from Pacdal and empties at Lucban.

Bakakeng – From the local word baka (cow) or bakaan (pastureland for cows) and mambebkeng (to build dikes for the farm and animals).

Cabinet Hill – Teachers’ Camp Barangay so called because it is the location of the cottages of Cabinet Secretaries and of Teachers’ Camp, originally planned as the “summer camp of public school teachers.”

Camp 8 – The builders of Kennon Road had to set up eight camps on their way up starting from the bottom of Rosario, La Union, to finish the city’s first gravel road artery. The last camp was Camp 8.

City Camp (City Camp Central, City Camp Proper) – This was a camp for City government personnel and workers of the Rock Quarry during the pre-war days. A camp for equipment, dubbed Motorpool, was also constructed as a depot for heavy equipment used in quarrying.