Canon joins Ifugao terraces rehab

MANILA, Philippines - Canon Philippines joined the growing number of government and non-government groups in the ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the Ifugao rice terraces, one of the country’s tourism gems and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In partnership with the provincial government, Canon Philippines will send 15 of its top photographers to Ifugao to conduct a two-day seminar on photography.

The fees generated from the seminar will be given to the provincial government as additional rehabilitation fund for the terraces, whose endangered state has been aggravated by last year’s successive typhoons and prolonged rains.

The PhotoEskwela sa Banaue seminar is scheduled on Feb. 4 to 5 at Banaue’s Immaculate Conception School.

The Canon-sponsored photographers are waiving their professional fees as their contribution to the terraces’ restoration.

“This activity is only one of the string of collaborative activities to open opportunities for all to experience, appreciate and revive the baddang (or bayanihan) as a way of life of the Ifugao people,” said Ifugao Gov. Eugene Balitang.

According to Balitang, who earlier said they need at least P200 million to rehabilitate the terraces back to its picture-perfect state, they would pilot their rehabilitation efforts along Banaue’s Batad village, the most popular among the areas hosting the terraces.

Besides Banaue, the terraces located in the towns of Mayoyao, Hungduan and Kiangan are declared among the World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

However, as years passed, the terraces have been deteriorating due to earthworm infestation along its paddies and the lack of interest among Ifugao youths in maintaining the terraces.

Last year’s typhoons “Mina,” “Pedring” and “Quiel” as well as excessive rainfall aggravated the condition of the terraces, with significant volumes of soil washing down.

Late last year, Malacañang, through the Department of Agriculture, allocated P55 million for the terraces’ rehabilitation.

Also last year, Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat and Sen. Francis Pangilinan launched the “Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement” to further drum up national and international support for the restoration of the terraces.