Government urged to save Banawe Rice Terraces

The 2,000-year-old system of rice terraces in Banawe, Ifugao which has been on the List of World Heritage Sites for seven years now is in very grave danger of being abandoned and destroyed.

Unfortunately, no government agency is lifting a finger to reverse the situation. It is also sadly ironic that efforts to conserve the terraces should start from the international community.

This is the observation of Antonio Claparols, president of the Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) regional director.

Claparols reported that in December 2001, the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in its 25th session held in Helsinki, Finland, expressed its commitment to support the Philippines to "overcome the difficulties faced in sustainably maintaining the fragile cultural resources of this property."

In the same convention, the group vowed to make available necessary human and financial resources, draw international technical assistance, rally the necessary political will and public support in favor of the Banawe Rice Terraces’ conservation.

In line with this, Claparols is urging the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to make the necessary representations to reverse the deterioration of this cultural heritage.

Claparols says the continuing deterioration is mainly due to over-tourism, climatic changes, soil erosion and mismanagement.

The rice terraces are extremely fragile, where human land-use has been in balance with mountainous environment for centuries. However, a recent report noted that approximately 25 to 30 percent of the terraces are currently being abandoned, resulting in a shift in the relationship between human land-use and environment. It was reported that there have been unregulated development and erosion.

Since 1995, when the Banawe Rice Terraces was inscripted on the World List, it seems that Philippine authorities have done nothing to implement the necessary comprehensive management plans and corrective measures, Claparols pointed out. This despite a long standing offer from UNESCO World Heritage Center "to remain at your (Philippine government) disposal to provide every possible support to assist your government in working out a long-term comprehensive conservation plan aimed to ensure a sustainable program for safeguarding this important cultural landscape," he added.