National Policies and Local Ordinances on Ifugao Rice Terraces

Abstract

The Ifugao Rice Terraces (IRT) was declared by United Nations EducationalScientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site. It wasknown to the foreigners, particularly the Spaniards in the latter years of 1800sand to the Americans during the early 1900s. Articles and photographs furtherpopularized Ifugao to foreign countries, opening the doors to tourism. Thegovernment of the Philippines formally recognized the Ifugao Rice Terraces in1972 as a national cultural treasure having a high value of world culture. Severalnational and local policies were enacted for the preservation and restoration of theIRT while maintaining it as a tourism destination. However, the implementationof these policies remains a big challenge, calling for a more determined politicalamong the national and local leaders most especially that the IRT is deterioratingdue to man-made and natural factors, which led to the declaration of the IRT asa world heritage in danger.Keywords: Legal Ecology, Ifugao Rice Terraces, policies, World Heritage Site, Tourism,descriptive design, Philippines