THE former two hour trek to see the Batad Rice Terreces in Banaue, Ifugao, can now be enjoyed in an easy 30 minute walk.
Over a kilometer stretch of concretized road has been completed in Batad, making trekking to see the grandeur of its renowned terraces more accessible.
The project is a convergence with the Department of Tourism and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with a cost of over P50 million which was conceptualized in 2015.
Banaue Vice Mayor Joel Bungallon said the completion of the road this year has made transport of goods and services for the Batad community easier.
"The community is not hard up now. Before the transport of luggage for visitors and supplies would take more than an hour now it is down to less than 30 mins," said Bungallon.
Tourism has become one of the leading sources of income for the people of Ifugao, the area being one of the top destinations in the country today, because of the Batad Rice Terraces Bangaan Rice Terraces, Nagadacan Rice Terraces, Mayoyao Rice Terraces and Hapao Rice Terraces.
Bungallon said the community has requested the dot and the DPWH to stop roadworks to the unloading point at the entrance to the batad village to preserve a bit of a trekking experience for vistors.
A concrete footpath has been made for the half hour walk to the terraces with safety rails likewise installed to secure all those who pass the path.
In the past, both locals and visitors would unload at the Saddle then trek the stretch of the unpaved road with hikes ranging to 2 hours or more before reaching the village proper.