Farmers in Maligcong, Bontoc, Mt. Province, have started repairing the damage wrought by past tropical cyclones on the Maligcong Rice Terraces, a declared National Cultural Treasure (NCT).
The terraces are the first NCT declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in April following the passage of the National Museum of the Philippines Act of 2019, which transferred the latter’s regulatory functions to the former.
A grant amounting to P5.5 million was awarded this year by the NCCA to the Bontoc local government for the repair and restoration of the damaged portions of the rice terraces, the direct effects of Typhoons “Rosita” (international name: Yutu) and “Egay” (Doksuri) in 2018 and 2023.
Elizabeth Farnican of the Bontoc Tourism Office told Lifestyle that the implementation of the project has already started in November and will be completed in early 2025.
The affected farmers are now restoring their respective rice fields through the bayanihan system, locally called ugugfo. The restoration project was jumpstarted by a two-day workshop on cultural heritage awareness organized by the local government with cultural workers Elamae Membrere and Clefton Badecao serving as speakers.
The workshop, according to the Bontoc local government, “emphasized the essential role of farmers in preserving the rice terraces and highlighted their invaluable knowledge of traditional farming practices, agricultural rituals, and riprapping techniques.”
Prior to their declaration as NCT, the rice terraces and all other tangible and intangible heritage properties related to them were declared by the local government as significant cultural properties of the town in 2023.
These also include the atos or the governing bodies of communities composed of elders, and papat-tay, the sacred place where rituals led by the elders of an ato are held.
Unsullied
The declaration describes the rice terraces as having an intact vernacular cultural landscape with unsullied indigenous agricultural processes and associated intangible practices.
It notes that the “stone walls are exemplary examples of vernacular unreinforced slope protection systems paired with practical irrigation systems of the Cordillera people.”
The structures in villages, it said, are embodiments of the folk architecture of the Bontoc ethnolinguistic group.
“Historically, the rice terraces have been a cornerstone of sustenance for local families and clans, fostering a deep connection to the land,” it said.
In these rice terraces, the traditional heirloom rice called farshang is cultivated, which, according to the local government, remains an important crop for the communities in Maligcong.
In recent years, the Maligcong Rice Terraces have started attracting local and foreign tourists, with residents adapting to this development by setting up businesses and activities linked to tourism.
This change, per Farnican, does “not only provide additional income but also allows the community to share their rich cultural heritage and agricultural practices with visitors.”
This, she said, creates “a sustainable model that supports both traditional livelihoods and modern economic opportunities while ensuring that the rice terraces continue to thrive as both a cultural landmark and a source of food sustenance.”—CONTRIBUTED INQ