2nawon Festival marks Ifugao’s first harvest

HINGYON, Ifugao, Philippines — Keeping true to its commitment to help in the preservation of the famous rice terraces, villagers and native farmers who are the major producers of the Tinawon rice and other traditional rice varieties, celebrated their first ever harvest festival.

Tam-an Banaue Cooperative chief executive officer Jose Tomas, who led the three-day 2nawon Festival, said the idea of celebrating a harvest festival was to give honor to the cultivators of the payo (rice paddies) who contributed to the preservation of the Ifugao culture.

Tomas, also a native of Barangay Anao, said while planting on the terraces is not economically viable, the Ifugao farmers still continue to grow the Tinawon and other traditional rice varieties.

The Tinawon rice, a once a year crop, also known as heirloom rice is produced in a traditional way of farming without the use of machinery or equipment including carabao and also without the use of any commercially produced fertilizers.

“Today, you can see and it is happening now that the Tinawon rice that grows only once a year can now grow twice a year, that is the reason why we are celebrating the “2nawon Festival,” Tomas said.

While waiting for the next harvest, Tomas also encouraged the farmers to continue to grow the native Dolog fish and the extinct Juju fish as part of the rice paddies.

Aside from the Hudhud hi botok contest, where the participants perform the hundhud (traditional chant) while harvesting, other activities included Haydun di Yuyu (fish catching), Binakle (native cake) making demonstration, native dance contest, a seminar on biological farming and the groundbreaking on the Anao-Burnay road.

Orlando Ravanera, chairman of the Cooperative Development Authority who served as the guest speaker during the event,  said he planned  to include a delegate from Ifugao to China to learn of the country’s effective organic farming.

Ravnera said the Philippines hopes to improve heirloom rice production and rehabilitate the damaged tuping (stone walls) to bring the Banaue rice terraces back to its former glory.

The government also aims to help the farmers learn new methods of planting rice to boost their yield and properly market the Tinawon rice and its other products to address poverty in the province.

Former Governor Eugene Balitang said aside from planting Tinawon rice, the Ifugao farmers are also good in woodcarving, weaving and other handicraft works, which are still part of the Ifugao culture.