Rice Terraces of

the Philippine
Cordilleras
A Living Cultural Landscape on
Borrowed Time
“The farming calendar provides the warp or the structure
of the year, while ceremonies, beliefs, and customs
provide the weft, building up the patterns of the brightly
colored cloth that is life in South-East Asia”
The Asian Rice Culture
ƒ Rice has been grown in
Asia for about 7,000
years
ƒ Rice is central to the
Asian diet
ƒ Rice goes beyond diet, it
is the unifying factor in
the diverse Asian
cultures
ƒ Rice planting and
harvesting inspires
rituals, festivals
An Asian Icon:
The Landscape of Rice

ƒ Rice germinates in flat,

flooded paddies
ƒ Paddied landscape found all
over Asia
ƒ Rice landscape pattern
unifies Asia
ƒ Rice landscape unchanged
for centuries
ƒ Rice landscape result of
ƒ agriculture, environment,
and cultural practices
ƒ sustained traditional site
management
ƒ traditional practices
continue to this day
Rice Terraces of the Philippine
Cordilleras:
Continuing Cultural Landscape

ƒ Inscribed on
World Heritage List,
1995
ƒ “Organically evolved,
continuing cultural
landscape”
ƒ Terraces have been
in constant use for
over 1,000 years
Rice Terraces of the Philippine
Cordilleras:
proves the length the Asian will go to grow rice
ƒ 700 – 1500 meters above sea level
ƒ Covers 20,000 sq km area within the Cordillera Mountain Range
ƒ Slopes to a maximum of 70º
ƒ Maximum slope for Bali terraces 40º
Cordillera Rice
ƒ Site conditions
demanding
ƒ High-altitude
rice strain
ƒ Germinates in
near-freezing
temperatures
in flooded
paddies
ƒ Grows chest-
high unlike
lowland rice
ƒ Non-
shattering
panicles
ƒ Manual labor only
ƒ Slope too steep for farm animals or machinery
Water
ƒ Lifeline of the
terraces
ƒ Traditional
irrigation system
ƒ streams diverted
to small dams
ƒ water distribution
through mud and
bamboo irrigation
system
ƒ Unobstructed
downhill flow
through all
terraces
Traditional Hydraulics

ƒ Hydraulic power
builds terraces
ƒ Hydraulic power
moves rocks and
other large natural
objects
Water-gathering system
ƒ Terraces on
eastern
slopes for
maximum
sunlight
ƒ Private
forests ring
tops of each
terrace
cluster
ƒ Water cycle
management
Nature-Culture Continuum

ƒ Hud-hud: harvest
chant by women
ƒ “Ten Most Valuable
Intangible Heritage
of the World”
UNESCO, 2001
ƒ Rituals: planting,
growing, harvest
ƒ Religious beliefs:
center on rice
Traditional Architecture
ƒ South-East Asian archetype
ƒ single room dwelling
ƒ raised on wooden stilts
ƒ steep thatched roof
ƒ Built with natural materials
gathered from surrounding
areas
ƒ Clustered in small villages
around open area
ƒ Private and ceremonial
granaries
ƒ Architectural forms echo
mountain environment
Living on borrowed time
ƒ Agricultural
traditions
threatened
ƒ decay of irrigation
ƒ incompatible
modern materials
and techniques
ƒ Environmental
traditions
threatened
ƒ deforestation
ƒ Construction
traditions
threatened
ƒ Loss of natural
building materials
ƒ Loss of
construction skills
Living on borrowed time

ƒ Cultural
traditions
threatened
ƒ Intrusion of
lowland
culture
ƒ Erosion of
religious
beliefs
Living on borrowed time
ƒ Poverty
ƒ Decrease in population
ƒ Migration of young to
urban areas
ƒ Is the Ifugao culture still
valid for 2004?
ƒ Can culture withstand
threats of modernization
ƒ Should culture be frozen
simply to maintain the
site?
Preservation efforts

ƒ No national
awareness of
nature-culture
continuum
ƒ National
policies for
site not
based on
local culture
World Heritage in Danger,
2000
ƒ Maintenance program
previously on national
level
ƒ Maintenance now in
hands of local
stakeholders
ƒ Holistic revival program
ƒ agricultural
ƒ environmental
ƒ Cultural
ƒ Pride of Place
ƒ Stakeholders are
finding the answers
ƒ Concept of
custodianship
ƒ Upgrade
quality of life
ƒ Claim
ownership of
site
 Salamat
Thank You