EDITORIAL - Preserving a heritage

The start of vote counting placed the Underground River in Puerto Princesa, Palawan among the New 7 Wonders of Nature. While Filipinos compete online to put the river, one of the country’s top travel destinations, on the list, another tourist attraction that has already gained global renown is calling for better care.

Recent typhoons triggered landslides that left large gashes on several slopes in Ifugao province, where extensive terraced rice paddies have been recognized as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The landslide was just the latest problem to hit the Ifugao Rice Terraces. The paddies have suffered from years of neglect as younger generations of Ifugao residents left the province in search of better sources of livelihood in the cities. As fewer people were left to till the soil, those left behind have also failed to stop the proliferation of giant earthworms, which have caused serious erosion of the terraces. Before the typhoons struck recently, the Ifugao government had asked for at least P200 million to restore collapsed portions of the terraced paddies in the towns of Banaue, Kiangan, Mayoyao and Hunguan.

It’s not enough to draw visitors to the country’s natural attractions; these sites need sustained maintenance. There must be a way of getting rid of the giant earthworms and minimizing the risk of landsides during typhoons. But the best way of ensuring the preservation of the rice terraces is by sustaining their viability as sources of decent livelihood for the residents of Ifugao. High-yield varieties of rice can be introduced for additional rice harvests. Creative marketing will also help. Other countries market their highland rice as expensive gourmet varieties. The products are retailed in special packages with detailed cooking instructions to bring out the best flavor and warrant the higher price.

The Ifugao community itself can be developed so that younger generations will feel no need to find better livelihood opportunities elsewhere. Infrastructure can be improved to make the site more accessible from Metro Manila or Baguio City. Basic services such as education and health care must be improved and tourism developed as a major local revenue source. The province can be developed into a center for tropical wellness business ventures. The best way of saving the endangered terraces is by making residents see that they have a personal stake in preserving their heritage, and giving them opportunities to make a decent living in their place of birth.