BANAUE RICE TERRACES
The Banaue Rice Terraces are sloped agricultural planes used mainly for planting rice located at about 1500m above sea level in the Cordillera range of mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines.
The two clusters of rice terraces in the municipality of Banaue namely Batad and Bangaan are part of the 5 clusters of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras which are included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
According to UNESCO, these Rice Terraces symbolize the absolute blending of physical, socio-cultural, economic, religious and political environment that represent an ancient civilization that endured the challenges posed by modernization.
The terraces are carved in these mountains by the Ifugao, a local ethnic group with minimal equipment, largely by hand that can be traced as far back as two millennia ago. These are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces.
Until now, these landscapes are cultivated by the Ifugao community who preserve traditional techniques demonstrating sustainable farming systems in mountainous terrain.
The history of the terraces is intertwined with that of its people, their culture and their traditional techniques.
