Bontoc, La Montañosa, The Philippine Empire

During the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, Christianization and eventual subjugation of the mountain frontier, called La Montañosa by the Spaniards, proved difficult for the Spanish colonial government. Several comandancias were established by the Spanish colonial government in strategic areas of the mountain province. In the mountains of the Kordiliera, on the mountainside between the areas of Bontoc and Maligcong, north of the vicinity of the Chico river lies the guerilla fortress of the mountainous province, composed of series of trenches, serving as the sentinel of the river, forest and the local region. With the help and cooperation of the local tribes, the once harsh and alien frontier was subjugated under the empire's control.