Rice planting tradition to save terraces begins next month

LAGAWE, Ifugao – Hungduan, a laidback Ifugao town famous worldwide for its rice terraces, will host this year’s traditional rice planting locally known as “tunod” on Feb. 9 to 10.

The tunod is a colorful indigenous tradition among “keepers of the rice terraces” organized by the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo) in partnership with the local government of Hungduan.

The theme of this year’s tunod, “Sowing the seeds of preservation, upholding the heritage of a people… saving a world heritage,” is part of efforts of SITMo headed by honorary chairman Ifugao Gov. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. to preserve the UNESCO-inscribed site from further degradation as well as the Ifugao culture.

Packaged as an eco-cultural tour over the vast rice terraces, tourists will enjoy a hands-on experience planting rice at the rice paddies in Hungduan, said Robie Halip of the Office of the Governor.

Halip said interested participants to the “once in a lifetime experience of planting rice in the world famous rice terraces” can log on to SITMo’s website at http://www.sitmo.ueuo.com.

The “Tunod ad Hungduan” tour is part of the rice terraces’ cycle tours that SITMo offers, starting from land preparation (“lodah/mamanong”), rice planting (“tunod”), harvest (“botok/pfoto”), and culminating in thanksgiving (“bakle”), Baguilat said.

Baguilat said these eco-cultural tours aim to step up the appreciation of tourists for the culture and tradition of the Ifugaos and to encourage stakeholders to preserve the majestic terraces for future generations.

“These tours,” he added, “empower the community as (they) provide supplemental livelihood to terraces stakeholders and capacitate the community for community-owned and managed eco-cultural operations.”

Already, there are grassroots-based efforts in preserving the rice terraces.

Local government units that play host to the Ifugao rice terraces heritage site have adopted strict policies towards its protection, such as the ordinance prohibiting the construction of houses or stores within the site in Kiangan town.

Baguilat added that more and more Ifugao villagers led by the “mumbakis” (spiritual priests) are supporting the revival of the rice rituals like tunod and culture-bound festivals – both critical in efforts to preserve the terraces.

Earlier, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) commissioner Carmen Padilla warned that the famous man-made rice terraces, carved majestically over the Ifugao mountains, might no longer be a world heritage site if efforts fail to restore their natural grandeur in two years.

The Ifugao Rice Terraces is in the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger, joining 32 other endangered sites.