Ifugao Governor Teodoro Baguilat Jr. on Monday described the success of the recent “Bakle” week-long festival or thanksgiving for bountiful rice harvest have not only inspired farmers to produce more of the staple food but also now listed in the festivals in the highlands which will soon attract more tourists.
2,000 years old Rice Terraces in Ifugao Province
The governor said that the native rituals, dances, songs and partaking of food for the festival “are, in fact, revival of one of the great traditions of the Ifugaos which were more than 2,000 years old. It is one of our ways to thank God for the bountiful harvest.”
Baguilat said that visitors from Manila like representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) were served with the native “binakle”, a cake made from pounded glutinous rice.
Earlier, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has campaigned for the festival which is now among the yearly big tourism activities which could attract more visitors to the area.
The rice festival, the governor said, is fitting to be held in all the towns in the province, site of the world-famous rice terraces.
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I hope this is something that will continue for a long, long time. We do have to be more proactive in celebrating our natural and cultural wonders and be conscious in ensuring its continuing existence.
Russell
http://www.e-Philippines.com.ph
Philippines Adventure Travel and Destinations
hi to evryone. i’m jani from nvsu, bayombong, nva vizcaya, Philippines. am ryte now here at maejo univ, sansai, chaiang mai thailand doing some phd studies. am presenly writing a dissertation proposal on ‘agritourism:its socio-ecomic impact among indigenous farmers in banawe, ifugao, the Philippines’. hope and pray for the approval of my proposal so i could conduct it soon in Banawe. more power and God bless!