A Part of Your History that You Would Like to See Before It Is Gone
By anne25penn
@anne25penn (3305)
Philippines
February 1, 2012 9:21am CST
Unlike past years, this year I have made a lot of travel plans. One of these trips will be to see Sagada or our Banaue Rice Terraces. These terraces are a Unesco World Heritage site but unfortunately only part of the majestic terraces are standing right now. For centuries our Ifugao tribe has constructed and kept these terraces without the aid of modern tools. I still have a very old postcard of the terraces that was taken probably around the 60's and in the picture you can see that the terraces go on like endless waves sculpted against the mountains.
Now, only parts of these terraces are still standing and most have been sold off by the owners. It is sad that it is no longer being cared for and since it cannot be a source of corruption for our government (no kick backs to made) this historical site is left to ruin. The people who once tilled these lands no longer seem to care and those who do cannot find the same skill and manpower to keep the existing terraces alive. One of the factors that really kept these terraces for centuries is the tribe who made them took pride in their land.
Sadly those who inherited these lands are no longer interested in farming. This is why my friends and I agreed to take a trip this month to Sagada before it is totally gone. I feel sad even before I get there because I know that one day, all that we will know about the Banaue Rice Terraces is that it is a world wonder and you can only see it in a picture because it is gone. Is there a place where it has been an integral part of your history that you would like to see and is threatened by extinction or decay?
1 person likes this
1 response
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
1 Feb 12
That's sad to hear. I had no idea the Banaue rice terraces has deteriorated and that some had been sold off. I saw these when I was a kid but that was more than two decades ago. Back then, it was a marvelous sight. And I had always hoped that one day my son could also see it. People should really value these types of places. They should really take steps to preserve places of heritage.
1 person likes this
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
1 Feb 12
I hope you can take your son to see the terraces before it is gone. It is a sad fact that this historic site and other historical sites here in our country are already destroyed. The Ifugaos who tended these terraces did so with so much care over the centuries because this was their lifeblood. If the crops did not yield anything, the whole tribe becomes hungry. Sadly with modernization people no longer want to labor in the fields.
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
2 Feb 12
I'm not sure, but shouldn't our government be protecting this site. I mean, when something is declared as a historical site, it can't no longer be sold to private entities and it's now the job of the government to take care of it and see to it that the place doesn't deteriorate. They have a budget for this which we taxpayers actually have shouldered.
