A General Picture of the Ifugao Rice Terraces
The steep mountainous terrain of Ifugao did not impede its people, who has settled here millennia ago, from carving out rice terraces, feeding it with water from springs and rivers through ingenious network of channels and canals.
This agricultural engineering marvel continues to function until today, providing the Ifugao people rice at subsistence level.
These rice terraces can be found in almost all the municipalities of Ifugao including Asipulo, Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Kiangan, Mayoyao and Tinoc, even in the upland barangays of Lagawe and Aguinaldo.
The rice terrace cultivation is so extensive such that if place end to end the terraces would encircle half the globe.
For many Ifugao people, the traditional rice terraces culture is not economically viable. As the landscape continues to lose its importance in daily life, the young Ifugao have become increasingly indifferent to its survival and conservation, contributing to the abandonment and deterioration of the rice terraces.
UNESCO included the rice terraces in the World Heritage List in 1995 as a living cultural landscape. In December 2001, the rice terraces were classified in the World Heritage in Danger due to its rapid deterioration. Unless dramatic measures are undertaken, the rice terraces will lose its World Heritage status.
Among those inscribed in the list are the Batad and Bangaan terrace clusters in the municipality of Banaue, Mayoyao Central terraces cluster, the rice terraces of the municipality of Hungduan and the Nagacadan rice terraces in the municipality of Kiangan.
Batad Rice Terraces Cluster
The rice terraces of Batad are tiered and take the shape of an amphitheater. Batad can be reached by a twelve kilometer ride from the Banaue town center and a two hour trek through mountain trail.
Bangaan Rice Terraces Cluster
The barangay got its name from the pot-shped formation of the rice terraces when viewed from the center of the barangay. Located 13 kilometers from the Banaue town proper, the place is accessible to land vehicles. Its panoramic beauty attracts tourists, local and foreign, and the barangay served as the jump off point for visitors going to other terrace areas such as Batad, Cambulo and Ducligan.
Nagacadan Rice Terraces Cluster
The barangay of Nagacadan is located in the western part of the municipality of Kiangan, 4 kilometers from the town center. The place can be reached by land transportation.
The terraces in the area are well preserved and among the few stone-walled terrace clusters in the municipality, the other being in the village of Bokiawan in the northern section of the town.
Mayoyao Rice Terraces Cluster
These terraces cluster is found in the central part of the municipality. Terraces in the area are characterized by its very high walls and narrow paddies. They are highlighted by the very steep roof of the houses dotting the terraces.
The municipality of Mayoyao is 44 kilometers from Banaue and is accessible by land transportation through rough terrain.
Hungduan Rice Terraces Cluster
The terraces in the whole municipality of Hungduan is included in the World Heritage List. The town is located 25 kilometers from Banaue and 45 kilometers from the capital town of Lagawe.
The rice terraces are located within the grasslands with patches of muyong or private forests. When viewed from above, the terraces define a spider web formation.
Other Terraces Clusters
The terraces systems extends up to the municipalities of Aguinaldo, Hingyon, Lagawe, Asipulo and Tinoc. Several of these clusters are considered candidates for inscription in the rice terraces Heritage List. They play crucial role in the terraces ecosystem in Ifugao.
Why is the Terraces deteriorating?
Diminishing Interest of the Ifugao People in their Culture and in Maintaining the Terraces
Over the past 30 to 40 years, modern influences have been slowly weaning the younger Ifugao generations away from their custom and land. As they become exposed to other cultures and places, they assimilate them and move to areas where economic opportunities abound.
Manifestation of the acculturation is the weakening of indigenous practices. The roles of the tomonak, the “leader” in agriculture, and the mumbaki, “high priest-healer-knowledge holder”, have diminished. The decreasing practice of support systems such as ubbu or village work group for exchange of labor and dang-a or community work led to dependency on government or external support for the maintenance and repair of irrigation system and terraces.
The rice terraces exist until today because of the Ifugao culture. The diminishing culture, including the gradual loss of traditional knowledge and practices pose a great threat to the sustainability of the rice terraces.
Land-use Conversion and Abandonment of Rice Terraces
Unregulated development in the rice terraces has been eroding the heritage landscape. Urbanization resulted to rice terraces being converted Many rice terraces are being converted to vegetable gardens.
Abandonment of rice terraces happens in favor of more lucrative livelihood activities within or outside the province.
Economic pressure brought about by increasing needs and limited economic opportunities force many to migrate outside the province. In the September 2001 UNESCO Mission report, it was noted that 25-30% of the rice terraces are now abandoned.
Diminishing Biodiversity
With the indiscriminate use of new technology, the introduction of new species, bio-piracy and unregulated hunting, the rich biodiversity of Ifugao is being depleted. The low level of people’s awareness on the importance of biodiversity, the absence of policies and increasing need for cash put more pressure on the biodiversity.
Erosion and Siltation
The decrease in forest cover causes erosion on the generally sloping terrain of Ifugao. This is aggravated by the prolonged wet season in the province covering 8 months from May to February of the following year. The eroded soil, rock particles and solid waste are carried down slopes causing heavy siltation.
Limited Local Government Resources
The resources of the local governments, from the provincial to the barangay levels are limited to respond to the task of restoring and preserving the rice terraces. Ifugao is a fifth class province and still dependent on the Internal Revenue Allocation. In terms of economic standards, it belongs to the 20 poorest provinces in the Philippines.
Sources: Ifugao Rice Terraces Masterplan 2003-20012
Ifugao Terraces
