Preserving the Banaue Rice Terraces

My friend, Belinda Olivares Cunanan, insisted that I come for a dinner invitation at the Manila Peninsula. Sorry, I told her I’ve done that. I prefer to stay home to read and write. But she would not stop calling me every hour on the hour until I said yes. Had she told me what the invitation was all about, I would never have forgiven myself if I had missed it. It was only when I arrived at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Manila Peninsula that she laid the surprise – it was to attend the launch of a 265-page coffee table book  about “A Banaue Story: Restoring a World Heritage Treasure.”

I had a faint remembrance as a child of seeing the rice terraces from a distance on vacations in Baguio. That was not the Banaue terraces I saw but a mini version of it because it is miles away from where I said I could have seen it.

Here again was an example of what a community if they band together to do something worthwhile. The invitation came from Dr. Milagros O. How (with the help of Sonia Santiago Olivares and Hannah Olivares Navato) who has taken it upon herself to organize communities in the area to take part in the preservation of the rice terraces.  It documented step by step procedures undertaken by volunteers from the villages as well as soldiers of the Philippine Army under her leadership.

Who would think that a rich Chinese Filipino woman would take up the cause of the terraces which has been named by UNESCO as one of the wonders of the world? Dr. How is a businesswoman with many other things in her mind as president and chief executive officer of the Universal Harvester Inc. but she observed what a waste it would be if the terraces were left to be destroyed. The cause became an obsession.

It is more than rice terraces. It is a cultural heritage for Filipinos and shows just how ingenious our ancestors were to find solutions to problems.

Heading the table of the tribes of Banaue who helped in the project of preserving the rice terraces and making it possible to create a book was Banaue Mayor Jerry U. Dalipog. The Rigodon Ballroom was a roomful of intellectuals and artists who had banded together for the difficult endeavor. The book was edited by Ester G Dipasupil.

The pictures in the book taken from all angles were by noted photographers like Eduardo Masferre, John Chua, George Tapan, Alex Van Hagen, Albert Labrador,  Joey de Leon, Pet  Salvador, and P.J. Enriquez.

Also unique was Dr. How’s invitation to world class composers to create Banaue-inspired music.

The Rice Terraces rehabilitation Banaue International Music Composition Competition (BIMCC) through chairman and Universal Harvester Inc. president and CEO Dr. Milagros O. How is to be commended on how to bring the effort to preserve the rice terraces worldwide through music.

Coordinating the musical contest are Luchie Roque, BIMCC artistic director Maestro Chino Toledo, Banaue Terraces Restoration project manager General Jaime De Los Santos, and Municipality of Banaue Mayor Jerry Dalipog. The composers come from 20 different countries among them Chile, Greece, Israel, Italy, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, UK, USA and Philippines.

“Through music, we are sending a strong message to the public and the world about the beauty and culture of the Banaue Rice Terraces. We hope to draw out attention from Filipinos to help restore our famous World Heritage site and the ecosystem that thrives in and around it,” shared BIMCC artistic director Professor Chino Toledo.

“All the Banaue-inspired compositions that we received from composers from all over the world signify how different cultures can relate to and work on a common goal of preserving an international treasure, as well as the diversity and rich heritage surrounding it,” added Toledo.

“Our work on the Banaue Rice Terraces Restoration Project also calls attention to the need for greater support to the agricultural sector. UHI formed our advocacy arm under TOFARM to push for the advancement of the Philippine agriculture and to recognize farmers as the country’s heroes.

Although local government agencies have supported part of the cost of preservation, it needs worldwide support and the first to volunteer should be us, Filipinos.

The two main threats are (destruction of the rice terraces and migration of farmers to cities).

According to the Ifugao Cultural Heritage Office, landslides are a continuous problem. In 2011, typhoons washed away over 102,000 cubic meters of soil.

Documentation of local customs and the passing on of local dances and songs to the younger generation is key. This instills local pride and ensures that traditions will continue.

Philippine culture is alone among southeast Asian cultures in being wholly wood-based and the terraces are the only form of stone construction from the pre-colonial period.

Locals continue to produce rice here using traditional methods and the history and beauty of the terraces have made them a tourist attraction.

They were named as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, citing the need to preserve the traditions of the tribes that build and maintain them.

Knowledge of how to maintain the terraces is passed down from generation to generation through rituals. Above the steps is a ring of woods that is intensively managed to balance the ecosystem and ensure there is an adequate water supply to keep the terraces flooded.

“The Banaue Rice Terraces is more than just a breathtaking view. It is home for a community fueled by their culture,” stated General Jaime de los Santos, project manager of the Banaue Rice Terraces Restoration Project. “The area has faced a host of challenges in recent years, and we aim to bring it back to its full glory through the Banaue Rice Terraces Restoration Project. We recognize that there is much work to be done and what we’re doing is just a start. Through BIMCC, we want to call attention to the scale of the challenge and how the public can show support through a celebration of music and culture.”

This would be a fitting gift to world leaders on state visits. For book orders, email: [email protected] or log on to http://www.banauerestoration.org Or call (632) 4212378; (632) 7095001 to 02; (632) 4214301 to 02.