Rice Terraces of Banaue, Philippines

The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the Batad indigenous people. The terraces were built with minimal equipments, largely by hand. They are located approximately 1500 meters above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers of the mountainside. The paddy fields are fed by an ancient irrigation system located from the rain forests above the mountains.

Locals to this day still tend to the rice and vegetables on the terraces, although more and more younger Ifugaos do not find farming appealing, often opting for the more lucrative hospitality industry generated by the Rice Terraces.

Have a look at a typical story of an Ifugao girl of the new generation.

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