Later, they added seven more: Coliseum of Rome, Catacombs of Alexandria, Great Wall of China, Stonehenge, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Porcelain Tower of Nanking and Mosque of St. Sophia at Constantinople.
Locally, however, many scholarly persons have always considered the Banaue Rice Terraces as the Eighth Wonder of the World. We cannot agree with them more. In fact, in our objective analysis, it is the First Wonder of the World. To begin with, it is the only Wonder of the World that not only survives, but still serves its original purpose, which is to grow rice in paddies. It is generally believed that the Rice Terraces are about 2,000 years old. This means that the existing community there extends back to two millenniums. Is there any world community that can make a similar claim. When we read Philippine history, it more or less begins with Magellan’s discovery of the islands. Clearly, it should begin with the Rice Terraces, our oldest existing community – and the evidence is there for all to see.
The truth is that the Rice Terraces would have been an addendum to the Seven Wonders of the World – it its existence had been known when the list was prepared. But its discovery occurred only after the American occupation of the islands. Rizal did not know that it existed.
I have never ceased to wonder how a primitive group of people without any formal knowledge of engineering were able to construct the rice terraces. We believe that it is time that a good documentary film on the Rice Terraces is produced.
Undoubtedly, the Rice Terraces of Banaue is our greatest tourist attraction. The problem is that it is in an isolated part of the country and we don’t have the facilities – good roads and hotels – to attract the tourist to see this world wonder. But there should be more effort to make its existence and significance known. It is the greatest purely Filipino achievement.
Now the very existence of the terraces is in danger. There is only one way to really conserve this world wonder. And that is by preserving the community responsible for its existence. Many Ifugaos are leaving the terraces for better economic opportunities elsewhere. The government should help provide their needs. Ifugao Governor Teodoro Baguilat, Jr. is very much concerned with the future of the terraces. And he knows that its future depends on the local community itself. What we have to do is give them our support.