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Asin Road
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In the early 1900's the area now known as Bacbacan was part of the Municipality of Tuba, under the so-called Municipal President, now known as Municipal Mayor.
This area was then a thickly forested area teeming with birds, some species of deer, squirrels, insects and many other forms of wildlife. Especially noteworthy were the numerous frogs and toads which during the rainy days made a cacaphony of sound one would never forget when one hears it. This according to legend was the basis of the name of the place Bacbacan, or the place of frogs, as the Igorot term of frog is "Bacbac."
The place was then inhabited by the original Ibalois who used the area mainly for pastureland for their livestock. The Ibalois also practiced a limited form of slash and burn agriculture which may be termed "Kaingin."
In the early 1950's there was an immigration of some Kankanaeys, a tribe from northern Benguet who settled at Kilometer 5, later named as Sayote Island because these immigrants had a penchant for planting the vegetable "sayote."
At the same time there also was an influx of immigrants from the province of Ifugao. These hardy people settled at Kilometer 6, Asin Road, or what is now known as Sinco and also at Kilometer 3 and 4, Asin Road, now known as Bacbacan. This place called Bacbacan however, also includes the area occupied by the Kankanaeys place earlier referred to as Sayote Island. This people from the province of Ifugao were not farmers or herdsmen as the Ibalois and Kankanaeys, but were mainly artisans. They brought with them their basic skills of woodcarving and the art of landscaping the steep slopes of the mountainsides with terraces formed by stonewalls. This art was then indigenous with the Northern Cordillera peoples like the Bontocs, Ifugaos, Kalingas and to some extent the Mountain Province Kankanaeys. Such an art was and is called "Kabite", in the vernacular, now anglicized as riprapping. Considering then that the area was thickly forested, these people were not lacking of raw materials for their handicraft making. These people were mainly responsible for the influx of tourism in the area as tourists visiting Baguio usually came to witness at first hand viewing of the way the Ifugaos made such intricate works of art, besides, they also came to purchase such handicraft.
Initially these 3 groups of indigenous tribes occupying places abutting each other kept to themselves in almost all aspects except possibly when they trade with each other.
As a decade or so passed, however, there was an intermingling of the three groups of people, as well as an intercourse of skills and knowhow, though each group still retain their customs and traditions.
In the middle sixties, other people like Ilacanos, Pangalatocs, Tagalogs and other lowland people, as well as other highland people like the Bontocs, etc., came and settled alongside the original inhabitants. So much so that the present inhabitants is a conglomeration of many people with different ethnic origins but are now living and intermingling with each other as one harmonious community though as was earlier mentioned, each still retain their customs and traditions.
The community has Pacday Quinio School, a complete elementary and high school from first year to third year (Pines City National High School, Pacday Quinio Annex). Pacday Quinio Elementary School caters to children within the community and adjoining communities like Crystal Cave and Camp 6, Tuba. Efforts are being undertaken to have a separate school site for the high school so that they will have a permanent site of their own.
Both schools are public. There is a preschool operated privately by DSWD.
The school serves as the show window of the community. People's support is manifested through the PTA. Every school activity/program is an opportunity for the community to demonstrate their cooperation. In turn, the school actively participates in community affairs in such capacities as:
Except one female teacher, all others are nonresidents of the community. There are 15 elementary teachers including the principal and the janitor. Six teachers are handling the high school department and it has its own principal since it is only an annex. Administrative powers and responsibilities are exercised by the local school head and supervisory functions are done by the high school department head.
Faculty club serves as the cohesive factor which binds the teachers. It is a very ideal organization attuning to professional problems. It serves also as a support group to implement programs of the DECS. PTA and Faculty Club have a very harmonious relationship which permits a very conducive atmosphere for effective school management and instructional service. All teachers are civil service eligibles including substitutes. They find it very hard to commute every day. There should be a reserved area for teacher's quarters so that their economic problems will be lessened.
Skills training geared towards income-generating activities for out-of-school youths and unemployed adults will be opened up. This however must be determined according to the identified priority among the prospective clientele.
Local cooperatives already in existence will be reactivated.
Kilometer 3 - Sarfati Leathercraft and Woodcarving
Kilometer 3 - Nauyac Family Woodcarving
Kilometer 4 - Napiloy Woodcarving
Kilometer 4 - Pihoc Woodcarving
Kilometer 4 - Keaco Basket Making
Fr. Sicwaten Rabbit Farms
- Parents Teachers Association - Pacday Quinio
- Senior Citizen's Association
- Concerned Citizens Association
- Kabataang Barangay
- Women's Club
Styles of life - The Ibalois, Kandanaeys, Ifugaos and Bontocs are still attached to their customs and traditions like canao though christianity, education and media are trying to change the life style of the people. The people are basically industrious, united, cooperative, patient and charitable. Back to Top
Basically the area is predominantly a woodcarving and handicraft community except for a few establishments like a construction business (JKK Construction, 2 bulldozers and a payloader, maintained for contrata), motor repair shops, and sari-sari stores.
The total land area for agriculture would be roughly one half with New Town Farms composing 277 hectares.
The total land area for housing, road networks, etc., would be about 120 hectares.
The rest would be for unusable areas like rocky areas, steep precipices or ravines unusable for either agriculture or housing which is roughly around 30 hectares.
Productivity of land is poor. Reasons behind it is that there is lack of scientific methods of agriculture by farmers in the area and a dire lack of capitalization on the part of the farmers. An exception to the above would be the productivity level of the New Town Farms which has a fairly moderate level of productivity.
Waters available are creeks and springs which have a tendency to lessen in water supply if not altogether dry up during summer. So productivity of water is poor.
Improvements were made in the form of terraces, irrigation, dikes and artesian wells made by individual owners of such farms. Again special mention has to be given to the New Town Farms for improvements at their area.
Infrastructure like roads, buildings, etc., is fair as compared to other places in Baguio, but poor in comparison to other cities like Dagupan City and other lowland cities.
It consists of 7 puroks.
The population of Asin Road barangay consists of those employed as carpenters, woodcarvers, drivers, and others. We have small scale farmers who hire few workers for preparation stage and harvest. For woodcarvers, they hire workers on a daily basis and according to what they finished. The Barangay Captain will upon request provide the number of those employed broken down by type of employment as well as the number of unemployed inhabitants and those underemployed.
The water supply is only good for 100 families and laboratory tests show that it is contaminated.
Electrical power supply is fairly constant and provided by BENECO.
DSWD - gives assistance to poor clientele in terms of hospitalization and medicines, but strictly follows the criteria set up the the agency.
DOH - a government entity which gives assistance to the health needs of the community and deals mostly on the preventive aspects.
The people's attitude toward these welfare agencies is that they accept by doing their part and are happy about it.
REYNALDO LOPEZ NAUYAC, Punong Barangay
Jose Dumapis, Councilman
Mario Lucas, Councilman
Maria Dong-e, Councilwoman
Jaime Candido, Councilman
Catalino K. Kinado, Councilman
Leon Tayaban, Councilman
Vadana Amistad, Councilman
Mauricio Bannagyo, Tanod
John Dango, Sk Chairman
Hilda Mangili, Treasurer
Andrew D. Daiwey, Secretary
Regarding Law enforcement, records depends on the barangay council on what they are going to use. In the barangay we have the barangay tanods on a voluntary basis. For the rich barangay, they appropriate funds for them. The barangay tanod force should be composed of a minimum of ten but not exceeding twenty. The condition of the local prison is not ideal since men and women stay in the same facility. Ideally, they should be separated. They are trying to decongest it by building a new one which is on-going. It is used for juvenile delinquents as well as other crime offenders.
Mauricio Domogan is the City Mayor and Danny Farinas is the Vice Mayor. The City Council is the legislative body and is composed of 12 councilors: