LETTERS

Rejoinder to the commentary of
Bishop Francisco F. Claver on the Ifugao Rice Terraces

This is a rejoinder to the commentary published sometime ago in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, charging that the Ifugaos “had been arrogating the Unesco World heritage title to themselves.” The Bontoc-Igorot Bishop claimed that the Ifugaos made a “false claim” to the title because the World Heritage title was awarded to the entire Cordillera rice terraces complex and not to the Ifugao rice terraces alone.

I am conversant with the nomination of the Ifugao Rice Terraces to the Unesco World Heritage Commission made by the Philippine government in 1994 through the Dept. of Foreign Affairs. I have a copy of the nomination dossier signed and submitted by then Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Unesco National Commission of the Philippines Tomas R. Padilla. I find it necessary therefore, in the interest of truth and fairness to the Ifugaos, to set the record straight and clear whatever misimpression the Bishop’s commentary may have created in the public mind.

Secretary Padilla nominated for inscription in the World Heritage List four selected rice clusters of Ifugao rice terraces. The four clusters were: The Rice Clusters of Batad and Bangaan Banaue, the Rice Clusters of Mayoyao Central in Mayoyao, the Rice Clusters of Nagacadan in Kiangan, and the Rice Clusters of Hungduan.

Under “Specific Location” in the Unesco nomination form, Secretary Padilla stated: “Ifugao Province, Cordillera Region, Luzon Island”, and under “Description and Inventory”, the Secretary said: “This nomination presents four clusters of the best-preserved sites within the vast extent of rice terraces in the Cordilleras. Each cluster still remains complete, composed of a buffer ring of private forest (muyong), terrace group, village and sacred grove”.

Nowhere in the nomination dossier was there any mention of a specific cluster of rice terraces outside Ifugao; nowhere in the nomination was it also mentioned, or even implied, that the entire Cordillera rice terraces complex was recommended for inscription in the World Heritage List.

It may be noted, and Bishop Claver may not even be aware of it, that the rice terraces in the vicinity of Viewpoint and Poblacion in Banaue were not included in the nomination because, as an ICOMOS official told me, the rice terraces in these areas have been permanently scarred and defaced by the proliferation of residential buildings and other modern structures.

In its meeting on December 4-9, 1995 in Berlin, the World Heritage Commission approved the inscription of the four terraced clusters of Ifugao under new category of “Living Cultural Landscapes”.

The brief description of the inscribed rice terraces reads:

“For 2,000 years, the high rice fields of the Ifugaos have followed the contours of the mountain. The fruit of knowledge passed on from one generation to the next, a shared tradition and a delicate social balance, they helped from a landscape of great beauty that tradition and a delicate social balance, they helped from landscape of great beauty that expresses conquered harmony between humankind and the environment”.

I talked to Mr. Augusto Villalon, Chairman of the Philippine Committee of the International Committee on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) about Bishop Claver’s claim that the Ifugaos “arrogated” the World Heritage title to themselves and that the Unesco “had fallen for their false claim”.

Mr. Villalon, who with me accompanied the ICOMOS team when they inspected the four Ifugao rice clusters, explained that the Unesco was impressed by the Philippine nomination because the nomination dossier was supported by adequate legal and traditional mechanics for the terraces’ conservation. He cited the issuance by President Fidel V. Ramos of Executive Order No. 158 creating an agency to oversee the conservation of the Ifugao rice terraces, the preparation of the Six-Year and Three-Year Masterplan for the conservation of the rice terraces in Ifugao Presidential Decrees 260 and 1505 declaring the Ifugao Rice terraces as a National Treasure.

On the other hand, the rice terraces outside Ifugao lacked similar mechanics to assure full protection, maintenance and conservation.

Like most heritage sites, the terraces of Ifugao are in grave danger of deterioration due to a host of factors such as a changing economy, social and economic pressures, the negative effects of tourism and globalization and neglect caused by out migration and the preference of farmers’ children to gain education and employment than do back-breaking work in the rice terraces.

It may interest Bishop Claver to know that the successful Christianization campaign in Ifugao starting at the turn of the 20th century cast a negative aspect on paganism and ended many traditional practices and rituals essential to the continued cultivation of the rice terraces. This campaign and modernization have combined to break the line of strong cultural traditions that for centuries had intimately bound the Ifugaos to their beloved terraces.

But despite the continuing threats to their survival, the rice terraces of Ifugao have endured to this day. It is the mission of the Ifugao people to make their rice terraces continue to live by presiding over the terraces’ annual rebirth as they have done over the past 2,000 years.

With proper government support especially not that these have been deservedly inscribed in the World Heritage List, the Ifugao Rice Terraces may yet endure through the present millennium, be use to future generations, and continue to be recognized as the primary symbol of the cultural heritage of this nation.

JUAN B. DAIT, JR.
Kiangan, Ifugao
(Former Executive Director, Ifugao Rice Terraces Commission)

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Militant studes question mayor on upped tuition

“An education program that is accessible and that strengthens quality education” This was one of the promises of Mayor Peter Rey Bautista in answer to the question “Why I merit to be the mayor of Baguio” published in a local paper during elections last year. Many times, Mayor Bautista had also declared his “support” for the youth in his jurisdiction (who hugely composed his voters) and had been praised for this.

Now, such promises are again being challenged.

The University of Baguio (UB), which is owned by the mayor’s family, announced that it will be increasing its tuition by 7.5-10 % for enrollees this coming June-- merely two years since its raised its miscellaneous fees by similar percentage. Obviously, UB has a lot to explain to justify this move.
This is unreasonable since the university had declared a net income of P26 million in 2006. It has to consider its students whose parents’ sweat and sacrifice are sending them to school.
In view of his promises, Mayor Bautista is now torn between his “family’s business” and his obligation to serve the public--particularly the youth sector he vowed to support. If he chooses to be an honorable public servant, we are then asking him to intervene in the following:

1. for UB to declare “no classes” on a weekday between January 19-22 to give way for a mass consultation with the students regarding the tuition fee increase. The consultation day set by the UB administration on February 16 is a Saturday, during which only a few students are in the university. To really hear the “majority” of the students and to prove UB’s sincerity, the university should put no barriers to the participation of its students in the consultation.
2. for UB to allow students to articulate their sentiments through gatherings at the Avencleto Street in front of UB. Since UB was established, the Avencleto Street was declared by UB as “private.” This no longer holds true as the public is utilizing the street. Hence, students are free to also use it to express their freedom to speak.

If Mayor Bautista genuinely keeps the interests of the youth at heart and aims for them a quality education that is “accessible,” then we hope he heeds these calls.

May he be a man of his words.

Alliance of Concerned Students
Against Tuition and Other
Fees Increase-University of Baguio
09204813063