Banaue Rice Terraces

Common card · No. 233621

The Banaue Rice Terraces (Filipino: Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banawe) [bɐˈnawe] are terraces that were carved into the mountains of Banaue, Ifugao, in the Philippines, by the ancestors of the Igorot people. The terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level. These are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. Locals up to this day still plant rice and vegetables on the terraces, although conservationists have begun arguing that these are no longer “real” rice terraces due to increasingly higher incidence of planting vegetables in lieu of rice. More and more younger Ifugaos do not find farming appealing, often opting for the more lucrative hospitality industry generated by the terraces. The result is the gradual erosion of the characteristic "steps", which require constant reconstruction and care. In 2010, a further problem encountered was drought, with the terraces...

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