The Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras, often referred to as "stairways to
Heaven", were included in the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization (Unesco) World Heritage List's cultural landscapes category.
A vast, 23,000 sq. km. chunk of mountainous terrain in northern Luzon, the
Gran
Central Cordillera Mountains capture the imagination with cool foggy weather
and majestic rice terraces.
The areas listed in this category are considered to be sites of significant global
value that demonstrate the interaction of man and nature. Listed sites are officially
protected by the World Heritage Convention which seeks to preserve significant
sites of natural and cultural value. The convention is ratified by over 140 countries,
including the Philippines.
The cultivation of highland rice varieties by mountain terracing is practiced
throughout Asia, but the Cordillera terraces are said to be the most extensive,
unique and outstanding because of their altutude (up to 1500 meters) and steep
slopes (maximum of 70 degrees). A complex system of dams, sluizes, channels and
bamboo pipes keeps whole groups of terraces adequately flooded. They cover the
highest mountain peaks of five provinces - Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao, Benguet, Mountain
Province, Abra - and are located even on the steepest slopes, sometimes slanting
70 degrees.
For 2,000 years, these high rice fields have followed the contours of the mountains.
The fruit of knowledge handed down from one generation to the next, and the expression
of sacred traditions and a delicate social balance, they have helped to create
a landscape of great beauty that expresses the harmony between humankind and the
environment. This original work of Igorot peoples more than 2,000 years ago were
designed and built using the most basic tools and technology. Yet they still survive
to this day as living ecosystems based on the efficient and respectful collective
use of the mountains' water resources.
The rice terraces have survived as a "living" cultural landscape because
the indigenous peoples have preserved and maintained their own cultural heritage
- a culture deeply rooted in the land and nature and creation. This is truly the
special significance of the Cordillera.
Despite this seemingly forbidding landscape, the Cordilleras are actually home
to numerous ethnic communities. There are around eleven of such groups in the
highlands, all of them possessing their own unique cultures, customs and traditions.
There are five major rice terraces in the Cordilleras which are similar yet distinct
from one another:
BANAUE. This is the most famous of all the sites. It is the
artistic center of the Ifugao carvers and the Ikat weavers.
BATAD. Located also in Banaue, it is home to the spectacular
tiered, amphitheater-shaped terraces.
MAYOYAO. Located in Banaue. The organic Ifugao rice, Tinawon,
in red and white variety, is harvested here in abundance.
HAPAO. Its stone-walled rice terraces date back to 650 AD
and is located in Hungduan. Mt. Napulawan is located here.
KIANGAN. It is home to two famous rice terraces sites known
for their size and visual impact: Nagacadan and Julungan.
