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Ifugao women want their houses and terraces intact

Gordon’s statement opposed

BAGUIO CITY (May 12) — “Whether the houses are there or not, the Banaue Rice Terraces remains to be the 8th Wonder of the World,” Virgie Dammay, 40, who hails from Lagawe, Ifugao, said.

Dammay and a handful others reacted to Sen. Richard Gordon who told the Baguio media last weekend that whoever is blocking the view of the Banaue rice terraces should be removed.

Gordon was referring to “houses with painted tin roofs that block the terraces’ view.” He said “the view belongs to the world.”.

“That’s looking at the rice terraces as a separate entity from the people who were the ones who created that heritage,” Dammay emphasized. Dammay works with the regional peasant alliance Alyansa dagiti Pesante iti Taeng Kordilyera (APIT-TAKO).

Gordon arrived in Ifugao for the Imbayah festival which was celebrated from April 28 to May 1. He was impressed at the Mayaoyao houses, which he recommended as “nice alternatives to hotels where people could stay and pay P4,000 to P5,000 for three days.” He, however expressed concern at the houses blocking the view of the world-acclaimed Banaue Rice Terraces which has just been declared as a world heritage site.

The Mayaoyao houses, Gordon says, may be provided with a decent shower. The owners may cook for the tourists, he suggests, and take them sight-seeing in their own cars.

Gordon’s statement gained the ire of some Ifugao women interviewed by NORDIS.

Lilibeth Bugatti, 31, a mother of three from Brgy. Viewpoint in Banaue thinks that if the locals were evicted from the terraces, no one would take care of the terraces. “Isuda ti mangay-awan ken mangdaldalus iti payew isunga napintas dagitoy,” (They are the ones who maintain the terraces that is why these look beautiful) Bugatti says.

“Saan a mabalin nga ikkaten dagiti tattao iti pay-payew. Ta inton awan ti agaywan kadagitoy, awan ti pagalaan ti makan”. (It is impossible to evict the people living near the terraces because when no one cares for these, there will be no source of food), Bugatti maintains.

In Brgy. Viewpoint, according to Bugatti, there are no more native houses. All the 100 or more people’s dwellings have been improved into tin-roofed buildings. She recalls that then Gov. Gualberto Lummawig promised to build a posh hotel in that area but the plan did not push through.

Jenny Nanglihan, public information officer of the provincial government in Ifugao disclosed of a government plan to develop a viewpoint. “This plan may have prompted them to remove the stalls, which they think might be blocking the view,” Nanglihan said, adding that as long as there is relocation and a just compensation scheme for the affected vendors, authorities may push through with the plan.

However, Nanglihan frowns at the thought that villagers would be ejected from their land for the sake of tourists, tagging it as a violation to the people’s right to self-determination.

“Gordon is only thinking of tourism-based business. He should know that the houses were there with the terraces for long time,”said Vernie Yocogan-Diano, Innabuyog-Gabriela secretary-general. Yocogan-Diano’s husband hails from Hingyon, Igugao. She explains that Ifugao houses are usually built close to their rice terraces.

Another Kiangan local said that the terraces were made primarily for the people’s rice production, but the residential house is usually built on one of the terraces near those planted to rice. She explains that people carved the terraces for themselves and not for the tourists.

“Gordon’s opinion reflects how our government officials look at our culture, that is, income-generating not considering the effect on the people, Dammay quips.

Nanglihan similarly says that Gordon should give primacy, instead, on developing and protecting the people to enable them to preserve the heritage site, themselves. “This is much cheaper and easier,” she said.

Bugatti appealed to authorities not to sacrifice the people of Banaue for tourism. She said, the farmers are responsible for making the tourist attraction lush with rice throughout the year. Without them, she said, the terraces will not be there.

She also said that tourists could stay in posh hotels and leave Banaue anytime. But the farmers have only their huts against the elements and their terraces for their sustenance. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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