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Embraced by centuries old awe-inspiring terraces, the visitor is afforded the modern day comforts of the Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel, 4,000 feet above sea level. It is ideal for nature lovers and adventurous tourists |
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The cool, rarified heights of Mountain Province beckon with the promise of romance. Well-paved trails and dirt roads wind through terraced slopes planted to rice and vegetables |
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Sometimes called the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the Banaue Rice Terraces begin at the base of the mountain range and extend several thousand feet upwards. The terraces have been named a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is said that their length, if put end to end, would encircle half of the globe. Built 2,000 years ago, the rice terraces manifest the engineering skill and ingenuity of the sturdy Ifugaos. They are irrigated by means of mountain streams and springs that have been tapped and channeled into canals that run downhill through the rice terraces.
The rice terraces once stretched northeast to Cagayan and as far south as Quezon. However they are now slowly being abandoned and showing signs of deterioration. A severe 1990 earthquake damaged some of the terraces' irrigation systems, while El Niño triggered droughts that led giant earthworms to erode the terraces' soil. Furthermore, the rice variety most suited to the area's cool climate is not a high-yielding crop; because it takes so long to mature, some Ifugao families have abandoned their land in the rice terraces in favor of land that reaps faster rewards.
An Ifugao Terraces Commission was created in 1994 but has since been superseded by the Banaue Rice Terraces task force, which was closed in 2002.
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IIFUGAO RICE TERRACES (Ifugao)
The Ifugao Rice Terraces was inscribed in the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST in 1995 ""because of its great beauty that expresses conquered and conserved harmony between humankind and the environment.""
There are five major rice terraces listed which are similar yet distinct from one another:
BANAUE. This is the most famous of all the sites. It is the artistic center of the Ifugao carvers and the Ikat weavers.
BATAD. Located also in Banaue, it is home to the spectacular tiered, amphitheater-shaped terraces.
MAYOYAO. Located in Banaue. The organic Ifugao rice, Tinawon, in red and white variety, is harvested here in abundance.
HAPAO. Its stone-walled rice terraces date back to 650 AD and is located in Hungduan. Mt. Napulawan is located here.
KIANGAN. It is home to two famous rice terraces sites known for their size and visual impact: Nagacadan and Julungan.
Location : Ifugao Province
Operating Hours : Can be visited all year round but best time to visit is from January to May when the weather is drier.
Contact Numbers : Ifugao Rice Terraces Conservation Heritage Office (IRTCHO) (6374) 382-2108
Department of Tourism Cordillera Administrative Region (6374) 442-6708/ 442-8848
Getting there : - Takes around 10 hours ride from Manila via Pan-Pacific Highway
- Takes around 45 minutes from Manila by chartered plane to Bagabag Airport
- From Manila: Accessible by Public Utility Buses plying the route Manila-Banaue such as Auto Bus
- From Bagabag Airport
Accessible by Jeeps or buses (2 -3 hours ride to Banaue)
Kiangan, Mayoyao and Hungduan are accessible by hired jeeps from Banaue town proper
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