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Banaue Rice Terraces: Addressing the challenges, Preserving Cultural Heritage

The Banaue Rice Terraces are notable for its unique landscape of rice paddies. These are a system of irrigated rice plants situated in the north-central Luzon. It was believed to be created approximately more than 2,000 years ago through the initiative of the Ifugao people. In the year 1995, sections of the terraces were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site described as “a living cultural landscape of unparalleled beauty.” In the early 21st century, the number of Ifugao people in the area drastically declined as many opted to migrate in non-rural centers. Aside from that, worms began proliferating the paddies and soil erosion started to ruin the landscape. Significant portion of the terraces deteriorated primarily due to unregulated development and lack of strong management. In such a case, major restoration and strict conservation efforts should be deployed in order to save the remarkable beauty of the cultural heritage site. However, the question is “How are we going to do this?” In the pursuit of successful preservation of the Banaue Rice Terraces, unified efforts are a must. This is something that should be of everyone’s concern. Carefully planned measures must be given the utmost importance in order to guarantee the efficacy of the preservation process. Some researchers suggest that the first step to this process is regaining agricultural interest of people. Through this, many will become more involved and many will be exerting efforts in addressing the agricultural challenges that threatens the very existence of the majestic terraces. Other than this, promotion of sustainable tourism should not be overlooked as well. This would help prevent the continuous degradation of the built heritage as it becomes an increasingly popular tourist destination. In conclusion, the Banaue Rice Terraces serves as a tangible proof of how creative Filipinos were, despite the use of only the basic tools. The aesthetically satisfying beauty of the terraces reminds us that the Ifugaos have created an engineering marvel. It was gifted to us by our forefathers and the preservation of this built landscape now lies in our hands.