Ifugao to help DA, farmers learn terracing technology

By Aiza P. Namingit 

BANAUE, Ifugao – This province, known the world over for its centuries-old rice terraces, is ready to help the Department of Agriculture teach interested farmers groups and organizations the indigenous technology used in building rice terraces.

This is according to Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat who applauded the efforts of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, who recently visited Arakan, North Cotabato, where agricultural workers are working on their own version of rice terraces and at the same time promoting sustainable agriculture.

Agriculture and local government officials hope that the terraces will not only help boost food production in the area but also contribute to attracting more tourists to the region.

“The Ifugao people are very happy to provide assistance in improving the rice terrace farming technology in Cotabato and in other provinces that want to have their own terraces,” said Baguilat.

“I am happy that Secretary Alcala and the DA are supporting this technology that integrates agriculture, slope protection and tourism needs in one sustainable ecosystem,” he added.

Baguilat also welcomed the generous support of DA and Alcala to the rehabilitation of the original rice terraces in Ifugao, which in recent years suffered from typhoons that damaged parts of the iconic terraces.

The DA has already infused P20,000 to help the popular tourist destination of Batad, which is famous for its amphitheater terraces.

“My hope is that the DA will be able to infuse additional funds for the rehabilitation of other terraces clusters in Ifugao,” Baguilat said, “In doing so, he would also be supporting organic agriculture.”

“We’re more than 60 percent finished with the difficult task of terraces wall restoration. This is manual work and we are trying to finish repair in a couple of years what took our ancestors hundreds of years to carve,” he said.

Baguilat said that he would also be seeking additional funds for farm to market roads to better transport organic rice and vegetables from the mountains of Ifugao to the target consumers.