By Bianca Marie France E. Viadan 

The Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banawe or known worldwide as the Banaue Rice Terraces are located approximately 4,900 feet above sea level in the mountains of Banaue, Ifugao, in the Northen part of Luzon Island, Philippines.

The historical terraces of Banaue are a living cultural symbol of ancient civilization as far as 2 millennia ago, covering a widespread area of the Cordillera Mountain located in four municipalities. These handmade rice terraces are fruits of hard work by our ancestors that have overcome the challenges, not only in the past 2,000 years, but also the hindrances brought by modernization. Despite all of these, our ancestors were able to pass on this beautiful and historically made masterpiece from generation to generation. The rice terraces show the abilities of our ancestors in ancient engineering, where they were able to build a work of art terraces by carefully carving each of its pond fields and developing its own irrigation where the water source comes from the rainforest above the terraces and have been cultured and taken care of by the Ifugao people that is also a home of the minority community for thousands of years.

The terraces are used for planting the Black Rice where harvesting season calls different celebrations for thanksgiving feast. Aside from being known for practicing traditional farming, the Ifugao people also cultures root crops and other vegetables. Farming in the terrace fields is exhausting and requires physical strength which makes sharing of labor in between men and women are in different phases. But due to their dedication and heart for their source of living despite the inevitable problems the terraces are facing both in weather and changes in the ecosystem, our generation can still witness the magnificent beauty of the Hagdan-hagdang Playan ng Banawe making it as a thriving economy in the tourism industry. Visiting the Province will not only show you the beauty of the Banawe Rice Terraces but you will also get the chance to visit eight (8) other similar terraces in the other eleven (11) municipalities of Ifugao. Some of these are the Batad Rice Terraces known for the resemblance of an amphitheater, the Mayoyoa Rice Terraces where they culture a variety of rice called tinawon, the Hapao Rice Terraces are stone walled terraces from Sagada rock formation dated back 650 AD., and Kiangan Rice Terraces where the rice varieties of nagacadan and julungan were grown and cultured.

To those who have visited or who are planning to witness and experience the beauty and culture of Ifugao in the mountains of Banaue, it might seem like just another way to escape from the city’s noise or a simple getaway to relax, make memories, or capture the breathtaking views to fill in our social media walls, stories and reels. But let’s not forget that behind these magnificent mountains and extraordinary arts and beautiful creations are the hardworking people who dedicate their heart, sweat, and tears.

Let us respect and celebrate not only the nature we come to admire but also the people and their culture, for they are the ones who have invested their time, effort, and entire lives to give us the opportunity to pause, reset, and feel truly alive, away from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.

“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.” Proverbs Chapter 12 Verse 11

Source:

WHC.UNESCO Official Website, Wikipedia Official Website, Britannica Official Website, National Commission for Culture and Arts Official Website, Bible Study Tools Official Website.

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