UNESCO: Rice Terrace, Batad Village, Ifugao Province |
The Philippines have successfully restored the Natural Wonder after this World Heritage Site was listed since 2000.
Rice Terrace of Philippines
Cordilleras was endangered from various factors. This World Heritage were threatened
by neglected irrigation, deforestation, disuse, climate change, earthquakes,
weak management systems, migration of Ifugao people to big cities, lack of
focus on tourism, and unregulated developments in the site.
The restoration process
was implemented by establishing The Ifugao Cultural Heritage Office to manage
the site and the collaboration of related departments, provincial government of
Ifugao, academic institutes, individuals, the non-profit “Save the Ifugao
Terraces Movement” and UNESCO.
During the 36th session
of the World Heritage Committee on June, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Russia, the
Rice Terraces were reinstated in the UNESCO World Heritage List by a committee
composed of 21 state parties to the World Heritage Convention.
Mayor of Banaue town,
where two of the five clusters are located, expects the success of preservation
will drive the number of more tourists. At the end of the year the Amphitheatre-like
rice terrace in Batad village which was damaged by landslide will be completed
repaired. See Batad Rice Terrace and Bangaan Rice Terrace.
Sources: ABS.CBN News, GMA
News, Inquirer Global Nation, The Telegraph
Reference: List of World
Heritage in Danger, UNESCO Website