Terraces’ value as farms seen more crucial

BAGUIO CITY—Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala on Friday oversaw a new work program for repairing the damaged Ifugao rice terraces and turning these into organic farms, instead of tourism dioramas.

Alcala visited Ifugao province to assess the damages and to meet with farmers and local officials led by Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr.

Baguilat had been campaigning to raise up to P100 million to finance the restoration of the centuries-old terraces, as well as the traditional forest and irrigation systems in the provinces that have kept the terrace farms stable.

A damage inspection tour, facilitated on Nov. 11-13 by Baguilat, revealed that the landslides which scarred the Nagacadan terraces of Kiangan town, the Batad terraces of Banaue town, and the Hapao terraces of Hungduan town, approximate eroded soil that could fill 8,500 six-wheel dump trucks.

These popular tourist destinations were among the five Ifugao terraces enshrined as World Heritage Sites in 1995 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Alcala commissioned government engineers to study ways of speeding up restoration work at the terraces. He committed P30 million for the restoration began by Ifugao farmers, who have been breaking up river boulders for stones which they carry up to the mountain for use as retaining walls to hold up the terrace farms.

Alcala also offered to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to engage their work-for-food programs to indemnify farmers working to rebuild their mountain farms.

In exchange, the farmers would supply the restoration projects with materials needed to repair the terraced farms.

To raise additional funds for the repairs, the Department of Agriculture intends to tap the $61-million fund of the Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management project.

The project covers various Cordillera provinces, among them the Ifugao towns of Hungduan and Mayoyao, which host terraces, as well as the towns of Hingyon, Tinoc, and Asipulo.

The project’s goal is to improve the quality of life of rural indigenous Cordillerans, increase their incomes, improve their land tenure security, ensure food security, and conserve and improve highland forests and watersheds based on sustainable practices. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon