The Philippine Rice Terraces Are Absolute Paradise
Most people skip over the Philippines when they think about stunning Asian landscapes. The Philippine Rice Terraces remind us why that thinking is wrong.
Photo credit: Jon Rawlinson
For at least two millennia, the Ifugao people have sculpted the sides of mountains into usable farmland. Located in the heart of the Cordillera mountain range in the northern Philippines, these rice terraces rise like wide, monumental staircases. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added these feats of ancient engineering to its list of World Heritage Sites in 1995. According to UNESCO, the Philippine rice terraces “create a landscape of great beauty that expresses the harmony between humankind and the environment.”
The terraces, however, also epitomize the story of how modern tensions are putting a strain on that “harmony” worldwide. Yes, natural disasters and the perennial typhoons that lash the Philippines threaten the preservation of the Cordillera rice terraces. But the biggest pressure they face is a shift in human society.
As the UNESCO advisory body has written, “the terraced landscape is highly vulnerable because the social equilibrium that existed in the rice terraces for the past two millennia has become profoundly threatened by technological and evolutionary changes.”
Young Ifugao are migrating to the cities where they can find higher-paying, less backbreaking work. At the same, the once-remote region is becoming more interconnected through large investments in infrastructure. In the next two years, the Philippine government plans to spend around $25 million in road construction and improvement in the Cordillera region.
Photo credit: Jon Rawlinson
One goal for the road project is to attract more tourists to the area and thereby bring more money to the regional economy. In 2013, according to Philippine government statistics, 1.1 million people visited the rice terraces.
In the future, the government hopes to attract 10 million tourists annually. It is unclear whether this aspiration is misguided since the arrival of foreign tourists can dramatically change the nature of a place. But Philippine officials are hoping tourism will also provide livelihoods to those Ifugao who otherwise might leave the boondocks for the cities.
Filipinos call the Cordillera rice terraces the Eighth Wonder of the World. UNESCO calls them “the priceless contribution of Philippine ancestors to humanity.” As shown in the expansive gallery below, this region of the Philippines has some of the most beautiful vistas on earth. This piece of humanity’s common heritage deserves to be preserved for generations to come.
The sun comes up over the Cordillera mountains in the Philippines. (Photo credit: Jon Rawlinson) The Cordillera rice terraces became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. (Photo credit: Ken Marshall) The rice terraces rise along the sides of mountains like giant amphitheaters. (Photo credit: Madeleine Holland) The Ifugao people have cultivated these mountainsides for two thousand years. (Photo credit: Ken Marshall) Some of the terraces use mud walls, as pictured here; others use stone. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo) The stone-walled terraces are the only pre-colonial stone structures in the Philippines. (Photo credit: Jon Díez Supat) According to UNESCO, “The Ifugao Rice Terraces epitomize the absolute blending of the physical, socio-cultural, economic, religious, and political environment.” (Photo credit: Jon Rawlinson) Even contemporary villages blend in seamlessly with the natural surroundings. (Photo credit: Ken Marshall) Photo credit: Ken Marshall Photo credit: Madeleine Holland This is the homeland of the Ifugao people. (Photo credit: Dylan Walters) Many Ifugao still wear their distinctive traditional clothing. (Photo credit: Stefan Munder) The remoteness of many interior mountain peoples of the Philippines allowed their traditions to survive Spanish (and then American) colonialism. (Photo credit: Flickr user Beyond Neon) Their current challenge, however, is the increasing incursion of tourism, which offers economic benefits along with the potential deterioration of long-held cultural traditions. (Photo credit: Slava Myronov) Over one million tourists visited the Cordillera rice terraces in 2013. (Photo credit: Jon Rawlinson) It’s not hard to see why. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo) The area is hiker’s paradise. (Photo credit: Dylan Walters) Photo credit: Ken Marshall Photo credit: Ken Marshall Photo credit: Stefan Munder Photo credit: Madeleine Holland Photo credit: Ken Marshall The rice terraces are found within the Cordillera Central mountain range. (Photo credit: Madeleine Holland) Five sites within the mountain range enjoy UNESCO protection: the Nagacadan terraces near the town of Kiangan, the Hungduan terraces, the central Mayoyao terraces, and the Bangaan and Batad terrace clusters near the small city of Banaue. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo) This images shows farmers working the terraces outside the town of Kiangan. (Photo credit: Shubert Ciencia) Low clouds roll over the terraces near Kiangan. (Photo credit: Shubert Ciencia) The Hapao terraces form part of the larger Hungduan cluster. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo) Though not part of the UNESCO heritage sites itself, many trekkers start their visit in Banaue, a small city of about 25,000 people. (Photo credit: Ken Marshall) Banaue is about 15 hours by bus from Manila. (Photo credit: Slava Myronov) The main form of transport within the Cordillera region is the jeepney. (Photo credit: Stefan Munder) Jeepneys evolved from U.S. army jeeps left in the Philippines after WWII. (Photo credit: Madeleine Holland) The U.S. jeeps were modified and expanded, and the resulting jeepneys have become are a distinctively Filipino form of transportation. (Photo credit: Ken Marshall) This jeepney is named ‘Highlander.’ (Photo credit: Ken Marshall) This one is called the ‘8th Wonder Express.’ Riding on the roof is awesome way to take in the views. (Photo credit: Ken Marshall) One of the most popular trekking destinations within the Cordillera mountains is Batad. (Photo credit: Madeleine Holland) The rice terraces here are spectacular. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo) Photo credit: Madeleine Holland The village of Batad, part of which is shown here, is home to about 1,500 people. (Photo credit: Madeleine Holland) There is no road leading in to Batad. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo) The only way to get there is by foot. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo) The 2,000-year-old Ifugao terracing techniques make it possible to grow rice up-and-down steep mountains. (Photo credit: Madeleine Holland) A traditional Bulol statue guards the rice fields from malevolent forces. (Photo credit: Shubert Ciencia) The Philippines is the world’s 8th largest rice producer. (Photo credit: Madeleine Holland) Rice is an essential staple in the Philippine diet. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo) Flags mark rice crops near Bontoc in Mt. Province, Philippines. (Photo credit: Shubert Ciencia) Many young people, however, are leaving the farms to find work in the cities. (Flickr user amanderson2) Traditions that have been sustainable for 2,000 years now face modern pressures. (Photo credit: Ken Marshall) What the future holds for the Ifugao way of life remains unknown. (Photo credit: Justine Vidamo The preservation of the Cordillera rice terraces depends on the good stewardship of the current generation as well as those to come. (Photo credit: Flickr user Momo)
51 Unbelievable Photos Of The 2,000-Year-Old Philippine Rice Terraces View GalleryThe photos in this gallery are from Flickr users Jon Rawlinson, Ken Marshall, Madeleine Holland, Momo, Jon Díez Supat, Dylan Walters, Stefan Munder, Beyond Neon, amanderson2, Justine Vidamo, Slava Myronov, and Shubert Ciencia. The images are used here under a Creative Commons 2.0 generic license and have been cropped for size.
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