Saturday, September 06, 2008 Ifugao LGU sponsors another rice terraces tour By Rimaliza Opiña
THE local government of Ifugao, through the non-government organization Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (Sitmo), will be hosting another round of visits to its rice terraces.
The visit is a culmination of previous tours that showcased the rice cycle in the rice terraces of Ifugao. This year will be a showcase of the last rice cycle called Bakle.
Bakle is a thanksgiving ritual for a bountiful harvest. The Bakle ad Kiangan will be held in Ambabag, Kiangan, Ifugao's former capital.
During this time, villagers pound glutinous rice or diket to be made into rice cakes called binakle and offer this to Bulul, the rice god.
In an open letter, Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat Jr. said Bakle is among the traditions of the Ifugaos that is slowly losing ground in the province. He said the community members of Ambabag initiated revival of the Bakle by coordinating this with the Sitmo.
This in turn, was included as part of the eco-cultural tour. The tour was organized to broaden the knowledge of tourists regarding the rice terraces and the planting cycle. "The tours offer not only seeing the rice terraces but will actually experience working on them and observe the rice Ifugao culture that has nurtured the terraces for thousands of years," Baguilat said.
The tour, which is scheduled on September 6 and 7, costs P2,650 per person.
For reservation and inquiries contact the Sitmo secretariat at Dinapugan, Tuplac, Kiangan, Ifugao. Interested participants may call or email them at 0918-282-9839 or 0906-772-7193 or sitmo311@gmail.com. Visit also their website at www.sitmo.ueuo.com
