The state of Banaue Rice Terraces in Tinawon

MANILA, Philippines - Behind postcards of the famous Banaue Rice Terraces, what problems do Ifugao upland farmers face to preserve its beauty and the rich culture behind it? Has the Eighth Wonder of the World been forsaken in favor of modernization and a better life?

Find out tonight as ABS-CBN’s Sunday’s Best (aired after Gandang Gabi Vice) presents the special documentary titled Tinawon: Bigas at Buhay, narrated by Tony Velasquez.

Seen through the eyes of 65-year-old farmer Jimmy Cabbigat, a retired Banaue municipal agricultural officer, are the hopes and fears about the future of the rice terraces, and the challenges of modernization that threaten the centuries-old Ifugao rice culture and traditions.

The farming of Ifugao rice or tinawon is a legacy passed on from generation to generation. But because of changing lifestyle preferences of younger Ifugaos, Manong Jimmy worries that someday there will be no Ifugao farmers left to preserve the Banaue Rice Terraces.