Threats to the Philippine Rice Terraces

THREATS TO THE PHILIPPINE RICE TERRACES

by Anton Antonio

May 31, 2015

“Sometime October last year, I was having a dinner meeting in a restaurant in Makati City with a group of foreign visitors after a day-long meeting.  One of them casually showed me their itinerary and they apparently had a few “free” days.  The itinerary indicated that they will be visiting Baguio City and the Banaue Rice Terraces.  When asked if I had a better suggestion, I first inquired if they were the “upland-type” or the “coastal-type” of persons… since I had Boracay in the back of my mind.  He said they would prefer to go to the mountains.  So I confirmed that their north-bound route was fine.  A few minutes more of pleasantry exchanges then one of them turned to me and asked: “How many rice terraces do you really have?”  Before I could even answer he added: “I talked to two people yesterday and one said “one” and the other said “five”.”  I finally answered: “Six. We have six of them.”

The tour facilitator who said “five” was probably referring to the “Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras” which were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.  These are: (1) The Batad Rice Terraces; (2) The Bangaan Rice Terraces; (3) The Hungduan Rice Terraces; (4) The Mayoyao Rice Terraces; and, (5) The Nagacadan Rice Terraces, all located in the Province of Ifugao.  The other tour facilitator who said “one” probably had the “Banaue Rice Terraces” in his/her mind.  The five UNESCO World Heritage sites are under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Banaue but are not referred to as the Banaue Rice Terraces.  In 2012, UNESCO removed the five rice terraces from its list in recognition of our success in improving their conservation.”  (Antonio, 2014)

The situation in the Philippine Rice Terraces, however, has been deteriorating lately.  The terraces are dangerously being converted from beautiful natural landscapes into urban jungles.  The traditional rice planting and harvesting festivals represent the core of the centuries-old customs and traditions of the Ifugaos are threatened by relentless forces of modernization and unmanaged development.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) describe the Philippine Rice Terraces as a living cultural landscape of unparalleled beauty.  The Ifugaos have managed to maintain a lifestyle that is with total harmony with nature.

The Philippine Rice Terraces are a product of technology… even in ancient time, some degree of modern engineering must have been used by the Ifugaos in constructing the terraces although they may not be aware of it then.  Modernization and unmanaged development have certainly changed the rice terraces’ landscape.

1. Horizontal infrastructure (roads and bridges) has made the Philippine Rice Terraces more accessible to the rest of Luzon.  Today local and foreign tourism is at an all time high.  Vertical infrastructure (concrete houses and buildings), however, is slowly converting the rice terraces into urbanized areas… therefore, aesthetically veering away from their natural beauty and traditional “look”.  Harmony with nature is fast becoming a thing of the past.
2. The introduction of pests (including the giant Indonesian earthworm, other worm species and snails) are eroding the structures of the rice terraces causing some of them to collapse.
3. Information technology (the Internet) and television has made the younger generation of Ifugaos generally lazy and no longer willing to work in the rice terraces.  It must be noted that the terraces are labor-intensive and modern technological distraction has eroded the traditional work ethics of the Ifugao.  It is feared that, in the near future, the traditional farming techniques which has made the Philippine Rice Terraces successful and sustainable will eventually be lost.
4. Population increase in the Philippine Rice Terraces caused by inward migration of people from outlying areas and the natural reproduction of the Ifugaos themselves has also become a threat than a strength.  Because of population increase, more dwellings have to be constructed, and competition for livelihood opportunities have become steep which has negative effects on the economy and social relationships of the area.
5. Migration of a significant number by original Ifugao families to the lowlands means the abandonment of the rice growing culture.  This system of migration is narrowing down the number of farmers trained in the traditional rice terraces farming methods, the eventual dilution of these farming methods, and the disappearance Ifugao culture in general.

The challenge is how to blend traditional and new/modern culture without sacrificing traditional values.  These traditional values highlight the unique sense of the Ifugaos.  For the Philippine Rice Terraces to survive as a natural wonder, these traditional values will have to be maintained.  Otherwise, in the near and distant future, there will be continuous threats to the Philippine Rice Terraces.

Just my little thoughts…

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REFERENCE:

Antonio, A. C. (2014).  “How Many Rice Terraces Do We Really Have?”.  Retrieved May 31, 2015 from http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-many-rice-terraces-do-we-really-have.html