Ifugao rice terraces stakeholders conduct forum

With the aim of preserving the Ifugao Rice Terraces and its supporting systems through the promotion and transmission of local knowledge, skills and cultural practices to the young generation of Ifugaos, the provincial government through the Ifugao Cultural Heritage Office (ICHO) in partnership with SITMO and the Indigenous Knowledge Professors and scholars, is conducting a three-day forum and a display of the Ifugao culture.

Geremy Gawongna, SITMO Media and Advocacy Officer said that primarily this activity hopes to sustain the viability of Ifugao Rice Terraces by improving stakeholders to effectively manage forest resources at the same time provide jobs to the people especially the youth in the heritage sites that would augment their financial needs and preserve their watersheds and rice fields.

He said the endangered terraces facing possible delisting as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an indication of our unmanaged mountains which is affecting our environment thus the landslides that have brought disaster and dry springs we experience today.

“This, the Ifugao people should work out,” he added.

To nurture indigenous knowledge focusing on indigenous practices in three heritage sites of Kiangan, Hungduan and Mayoyao, expertise of Indigenous Knowledge Professors and scholars were tapped.

Gawongna explained that among those that display indigenous engineering and architectural skills in the construction of a native house are the expertise of the Mayoyao people. This comes with the stone tiling which presents a clean surrounding and which makes a conducive area for drying palay harvest, including stone walling in rice paddies.

The municipality of Kiangan displays its indigenous rice production of “tinawon”, and the municipality of Hungduan its Land and Resource Management.

With the participation turn out, initiators of the forum hope to make it a continuous activity province wide.