1.2 The Terraces as a Heritage and Public Good
There is no question about the great value of the Ifugao Rice Terraces as a
heritage site, and they are important not only to Filipinos but also to the global
community. While different clans privately own the rice paddies and woodlots on the
terraces, the terraces as a whole can be considered as a public good.
Klamer and Zuidhof (1999) define cultural heritage as “objects, structures, and
other products of cultures and individuals that have been passed from previous
generations to the present and are valued because they are representative of a particular
culture and are, at least partly, valued because of their age.” Cultural heritage goods
are typically public goods (Navrud and Ready 2002). However, they possess varying
degrees of the characteristics of public goods, i.e. non-excludability or the non-feasibility
of keeping other users from enjoying the good, and non-rivalry. In the case
of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, several consumers can enjoy the view at the same time
without diminishing the value that each one gets from the experience.
Peacock (1994 as cited in Klamer and Zuidhof 1999) notes that heritage is not
produced specifically to respond to a consumer demand, but is a by--product of other
products. The heritage was usually created for a specific purpose and not to satisfy
existing tastes. In the case of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, they were carved from the
mountains by the Ifugaos to create areas to be planted to rice.
According to Pagiola (1996), two of the problems that commonly beset cultural
heritage sites are: many of their services do not enter markets, or do so indirectly and
imperfectly; and many benefits are intangible. The market may allow users of a
heritage property to pay the property’s owners on a voluntary basis (Wills and Eves
n.d.), but this is often not the case, resulting in market failure. Furthermore, the
benefits from many heritage properties accrue not only to the residents, but also to
those who visit or know about them.
1.3 Problems Plaguing the Terraces
The Ifugao Rice Terraces have deteriorated over the years, and those inscribed
in the World Heritage List were moved to the World Heritage in Danger List in 2001
(Rossler 2005). The Ifugao Rice Terraces and Cultural Heritage Office (IRTCHO 2004
as cited by Yap n.d.) identified the following factors as having contributed to the
deterioration: loss of biodiversity due to bio-piracy, unregulated hunting, indiscriminate
use of new technologies, the introduction of new varieties of rice, reduced farm labor
because of out-migration, and accelerated erosion and siltation of the watershed.
On the other hand, a joint UNESCO World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/IUCN
Report of a Joint Reactive Monitoring Mission to the rice terraces of the Philippine
Cordilleras (Jing et al. 2006) noted the following threats and dangers to the terraces:
abandonment of the terraces due to the neglect of the irrigation system in the area;
unregulated development; tourism needs not being addressed; and the lack of an
effective management system.
Giant earthworms are also a menace in the terraces. While the earthworm
problem is not new, it worsened in the 1990s as a result of dwindling water supply in
the terraces (Malanes n.d.) The earthworms have been found to reproduce more rapidly
with less water. They are believed to increase water losses because they burrow deeply
into the soil as they seek moisture, leaving holes through which water seeps out.
Eventually, the soil and terrace walls dry up and crack.
As a result, some of the terraces have already been abandoned because of water
shortage (Hayama, n.d.). Rossler (2005) reports that about 25-30% of the terraces have
already been abandoned. Instead of repairing the terraces, some owners opt to pursue
other income-generating activities such as wood carving or serving as tourist guides.
The tourism and wood carving industries in the area have also been identified as
culprits in the deterioration of the terraces. Tourism has encouraged people to engage
in wood carving, which has resulted in the rapid harvesting of trees from family-owned
woodlots called “pinugo”. The “pinugo” is usually located above the rice terraces and
is crucial in soil erosion control and terrace moisture retention. It is also a source of
wood for house construction, fuel, and woodcarving. The tradition of selective cutting
in the “pinugo” has given way to the pressure to harvest more trees from these
woodlots due to the increasing demand for woodcarvings. With many of the trees
gone, the water supply in the terraces has been adversely affected. Trees enhance the
infiltration capacity of the soil and also help control soil erosion.
Aside from this, the active tourism industry itself is competing with the limited
water resources in the area. Malanes (n.d.) cites the report of Alangui (1999) that much
of the water that was originally allocated for irrigation is now being diverted to the
growing number of hotels, lodges, and restaurants. Some residents have even
converted their rice paddies to residential lots so that they can build lodging houses and
stores.
Others have been attracted to livelihood opportunities in the lowlands (Balcita
1998), and many Ifugaos have migrated there (Daoas 1999), leaving the terraces
untended. Many educated Ifugaos no longer want to engage in traditional farming and
instead seek higher-paying jobs outside the province.
To address these problems, several offices were created (and later abolished)
during the terms of three presidents (Yap n.d.). President Fidel V. Ramos created the
Ifugao Terraces Commission (ITC) in 1994, which was abolished by President Joseph
E. Estrada in 1999 to give way to the Banaue Rice Terraces Task Force (BRTTF). In
2002, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo abolished the BRTTF and transferred the
responsibilities over the terraces to the provincial government.
The government initiatives towards the preservation of the terraces include the
passage of two laws: the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act (NIPAS Law,
Republic Act 7586) and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA Law, Republic Act
8731) (Yap n.d.). Funds have been released for the construction of schools, markets,
health facilities, roads, and other infrastructure in the area as well as for the repair of
collapsed terrace walls.
1.2 The Terraces as a Heritage and Public Good
There is no question about the great value of the Ifugao Rice Terraces as a
heritage site, and they are important not only to Filipinos but also to the global
community. While different clans privately own the rice paddies and woodlots on the
terraces, the terraces as a whole can be considered as a public good.
Klamer and Zuidhof (1999) define cultural heritage as “objects, structures, and
other products of cultures and individuals that have been passed from previous
generations to the present and are valued because they are representative of a particular
culture and are, at least partly, valued because of their age.” Cultural heritage goods
are typically public goods (Navrud and Ready 2002). However, they possess varying
degrees of the characteristics of public goods, i.e. non-excludability or the non-feasibility
of keeping other users from enjoying the good, and non-rivalry. In the case
of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, several consumers can enjoy the view at the same time
without diminishing the value that each one gets from the experience.
Peacock (1994 as cited in Klamer and Zuidhof 1999) notes that heritage is not
produced specifically to respond to a consumer demand, but is a by--product of other
products. The heritage was usually created for a specific purpose and not to satisfy
existing tastes. In the case of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, they were carved from the
mountains by the Ifugaos to create areas to be planted to rice.
According to Pagiola (1996), two of the problems that commonly beset cultural
heritage sites are: many of their services do not enter markets, or do so indirectly and
imperfectly; and many benefits are intangible. The market may allow users of a
heritage property to pay the property’s owners on a voluntary basis (Wills and Eves
n.d.), but this is often not the case, resulting in market failure. Furthermore, the
benefits from many heritage properties accrue not only to the residents, but also to
those who visit or know about them.
1.3 Problems Plaguing the Terraces
The Ifugao Rice Terraces have deteriorated over the years, and those inscribed
in the World Heritage List were moved to the World Heritage in Danger List in 2001
(Rossler 2005). The Ifugao Rice Terraces and Cultural Heritage Office (IRTCHO 2004
as cited by Yap n.d.) identified the following factors as having contributed to the
deterioration: loss of biodiversity due to bio-piracy, unregulated hunting, indiscriminate
use of new technologies, the introduction of new varieties of rice, reduced farm labor
because of out-migration, and accelerated erosion and siltation of the watershed.
On the other hand, a joint UNESCO World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/IUCN
Report of a Joint Reactive Monitoring Mission to the rice terraces of the Philippine
Cordilleras (Jing et al. 2006) noted the following threats and dangers to the terraces:
abandonment of the terraces due to the neglect of the irrigation system in the area;
unregulated development; tourism needs not being addressed; and the lack of an
effective management system.
Giant earthworms are also a menace in the terraces. While the earthworm
problem is not new, it worsened in the 1990s as a result of dwindling water supply in
the terraces (Malanes n.d.) The earthworms have been found to reproduce more rapidly
with less water. They are believed to increase water losses because they burrow deeply
into the soil as they seek moisture, leaving holes through which water seeps out.
Eventually, the soil and terrace walls dry up and crack.
As a result, some of the terraces have already been abandoned because of water
shortage (Hayama, n.d.). Rossler (2005) reports that about 25-30% of the terraces have
already been abandoned. Instead of repairing the terraces, some owners opt to pursue
other income-generating activities such as wood carving or serving as tourist guides.
The tourism and wood carving industries in the area have also been identified as
culprits in the deterioration of the terraces. Tourism has encouraged people to engage
in wood carving, which has resulted in the rapid harvesting of trees from family-owned
woodlots called “pinugo”. The “pinugo” is usually located above the rice terraces and
is crucial in soil erosion control and terrace moisture retention. It is also a source of
wood for house construction, fuel, and woodcarving. The tradition of selective cutting
in the “pinugo” has given way to the pressure to harvest more trees from these
woodlots due to the increasing demand for woodcarvings. With many of the trees
gone, the water supply in the terraces has been adversely affected. Trees enhance the
infiltration capacity of the soil and also help control soil erosion.
Aside from this, the active tourism industry itself is competing with the limited
water resources in the area. Malanes (n.d.) cites the report of Alangui (1999) that much
of the water that was originally allocated for irrigation is now being diverted to the
growing number of hotels, lodges, and restaurants. Some residents have even
converted their rice paddies to residential lots so that they can build lodging houses and
stores.
Others have been attracted to livelihood opportunities in the lowlands (Balcita
1998), and many Ifugaos have migrated there (Daoas 1999), leaving the terraces
untended. Many educated Ifugaos no longer want to engage in traditional farming and
instead seek higher-paying jobs outside the province.
To address these problems, several offices were created (and later abolished)
during the terms of three presidents (Yap n.d.). President Fidel V. Ramos created the
Ifugao Terraces Commission (ITC) in 1994, which was abolished by President Joseph
E. Estrada in 1999 to give way to the Banaue Rice Terraces Task Force (BRTTF). In
2002, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo abolished the BRTTF and transferred the
responsibilities over the terraces to the provincial government.
The government initiatives towards the preservation of the terraces include the
passage of two laws: the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act (NIPAS Law,
Republic Act 7586) and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA Law, Republic Act
8731) (Yap n.d.). Funds have been released for the construction of schools, markets,
health facilities, roads, and other infrastructure in the area as well as for the repair of
collapsed terrace walls.
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