Sunday, September 09, 2007 Gov: Indigenous land zoning practices best way to save Ifugao rice terraces
THE indigenous land zoning practices of the Ifugaos are seen as the best way to save the famous rice terraces from the world's heritage site list.
Ifugao Governor Teodoro Baguilat said the local government has left the preservation of the terraces to the indigenous peoples, saying they too would not want their own terraces to be totally damaged.
"The Ifugaos have their own land zoning practices. Let us allow them to impose their rules on their own lands. The government is imposing a lot of policies for the preservation of the terraces but the most effective way would be to allow the indigenous people preserve their own land," Baguilat said.
Unesco has warned of removing the rice terraces from the list of the world heritage sites. It gave the province two years to save the tourism attraction.
The shanties amidst the rice terraces were considered eyesores as these distract the scenic view of the terraces.
Baguilat however said the Ifugaos have the right to establish their houses in their lands. "And the structures should not be called shanties because the people living there are not squatters in the area. They own the land where they put up their houses."
The indigenous peoples are willing to move out or stop putting up structures in the middle of the rice terraces and stick to their policy that farmlands should be separate from residential areas, Baguilat added.
While the provincial government is pressured to implement programs to save the famous rice terraces, Baguilat said this concern must also be addressed by the national government. (Jane Cadalig)
