Ifugao Banaue Rice Terraces

Lagawe Capital of IFUGAO

2012-04-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

Lagawe is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ifugao, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Ifugao. According to the latest census, it has a population of 17,373 people in 2,944 households.

Lagawe is politically subdivided into 20 barangays.

Abinuan
Banga
Boliwong
Burnay
Buyabuyan
Caba
Cudog
Dulao
Jucbong
Luta

Montabiong
Olilicon
Poblacion South
Ponghal
Pullaan
Tungngod
Tupaya
Poblacion East
Poblacion North
Poblacion West

REF:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagawe,_Ifugao

Mummy's Preserved in IFUGAO PROVINCE

2012-04-15T15:44:00.002-07:00

Natural attractions of the region include the Sumaguing Cave in Sagada and the mummy caves of Benguet and Mt. Province. There are four National Parks: Cassamata Hill, Mount Pulag, the highest mountain in Luzon, and second highest mountain in the Philippines, following Mount Apo of Davao, with an elevation of 2,922 meters above mean sea level, Mt. Data, and Balbalasang-Balbalan, located in the province of Kalinga. Kalinga also offers world-class white water rafting along the Chico River. The summer capital of the Philippines is Baguio, within the Cordillera Administrative Region.

REF:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordillera_Administrative_Region

http://www.lonelyplanetimages.com/images/33388

Location

Ifugao, Cagayan Valley, Philippines, South-East Asia, Asia

Photographer

Frank Carter

General Tomoyuki Yamashita's shrine in IFUGAO

2012-04-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

General Tomoyuki Yamashita : November 8, 1885 – February 23, 1946) was a general of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. He was most famous for conquering the British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, earning the nickname "The Tiger of Malaya".

Biography

Yamashita was born the son of a local doctor in Osugi village, in what is now part ofŌtoyo village, Kōchi prefecture, Shikoku. He attended military preparatory schools in his youth.

[edit]Early military career

After graduating from the 18th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1905, Yamashita joined the Army in 1906 and fought against the German Empire inShantung, China in 1914. He attended the 28th class of the Army War College, graduating sixth in his class in 1916. He married Hisako Nagayama, the daughter of retired General Nagayama in 1916. Yamashita became an expert on Germany, serving as assistant military attaché at Bern, Switzerland and Berlin, Germany from 1919–1922.

On his return to Japan in 1922, Yamashita served in the Imperial Headquarters and the Staff College. While posted to the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, Yamashita unsuccessfully promoted a military reduction plan. Despite his ability, Yamashita fell into disfavor as a result of his involvement with political factions within the Japanese military. As a leading member of the "Imperial Way" group, he became a rival toHideki Tōjō and other members of the "Control Faction". In 1928, Yamashita was posted to Vienna, Austria, as the military attaché.

In 1930, Colonel Yamashita was given command of the elite 3rd Imperial Infantry Regiment. After the February 26 Incident of 1936, he fell into disfavor with Emperor Hirohito due to his appeal for leniency toward the rebel officers involved in the attempted coup.

REF:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoyuki_Yamashita

IFUGAO RICE CULTURE

2012-04-15T14:52:00.003-07:00

Rice culture

Ifugao culture revolves around rice, which is considered a prestige crop. There is an elaborate and complex array of rice culture feasts inextricably linked with taboos and intricate agricultural rites, from rice cultivation to rice consumption. Harvest season calls for grandiose thanksgiving feasts, while the concluding harvest rites "tungo" or "tungul" (the day of rest) entail a strict taboo of any agricultural work. Partaking of the rice wine (bayah), rice cakes, and 'moma' (mixture of several herbs, powdered snail shell and betel nut/ arecoline: and acts as a chewing gum to the Ifugaos) is an indelible practice during the festivities and ritual activities.

Sometimes called by locals as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the Ifugao Rice Terraces begin at the base of the mountain range and extend several thousand feet upwards. Two of the terrace clusters in Banaue, namely Bangaan and Batad, are part of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription. It is said that their length, if put end to end, would encircle half of the globe. Built 2,000 years ago, the rice terraces manifest the engineering skill and ingenuity of the sturdy Ifugaos. They are irrigated by means of mountain streams and springs that have been tapped and channeled into canals that run downhill through the rice terraces.

The rice terraces once stretched northeast to Cagayan and as far south as Quezon. However they are now slowly being abandoned and showing signs of deterioration. A severe1990 earthquake damaged some of the terraces' irrigation systems, while El Niño triggered droughts that led giant earthworms to erode the terraces' soil. Furthermore, the rice variety most suited to the area's cool climate is not a high-yielding crop; because it takes so long to mature, some Ifugao families have abandoned their land in the rice terraces in favor of land that reaps faster rewards.

An Ifugao Terraces Commission was created in 1994 but has since been superseded by the Banaue Rice Terraces task force, which was closed in 2002.

UNESCO has listed the Batad Rice Terraces and Bangaan Rice Terraces as a World Heritage Site since 1995, under the designation, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.

Contrary to popular notion, the Banaue Rice Terraces as seen from the viewpoint are not included in the UNESCO inscription, due to the presence of numerous modern structures. However, it is a National Cultural Treasure under the Ifugao Rice Terraces.

The Banaue Rice Terraces was chosen as one of the two green globe destinations of the country by the World Travel and Tour Council. It received an “International Historic Engineering Landmark Award” from the American Society of Civil Engineers. It was also acknowledged by the World Travel and Tour Council as a green globe destination in the Philippines.

The stone walled rice terraces were built by means of primitive tools and early methods in order to maximize the use of land space, They exceed the height of the world’s tallest building if the vertical distance between top and bottom row are measured.

REF:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banaue,_Ifugao#Ifugao_Rice_Terraces

Tapis Weaving in Ifugao

2012-04-15T14:03:00.001-07:00

Among cultures in the Philippines, Tapis may generally refer to a single rectangular piece of cloth one wraps around oneself as clothing, but usually specifically applies to a colorful hand-woven wraparound skirt which was commonly used by women throughout the Philippines before the arrival of European colonizers, and which is used by some indigenous tribes today.

The tapis worn by the Cordilleran women of Northern Luzon, known locally as the alampay, are the most prominent example.

It is worn by wrapping the cloth around one's waist and holding the ends together with the use of a tightly tied sash. It generally reaches down to knee length, and the weaving pattern of describes the culture and temperament of the wearer's tribe

The Tapis has been in use in the Philippine archipelago since at least the indigenous period that came before the arrival of European colonists. Those colonists would take note of this particular mode of dress, considering it immodest. Spanish chroniclers from the early period noted that this mode of dress remained common on many islands despite Spanish efforts to introduce what they considered more suitable clothing. The felt that the tight profile of the tapis on a female wearer was revealing, and made even worse by the often sheer fabric of the cloth. One noted that the tapis became even more revealing whenever the wearer was caught in the rain, or had just taken a bath. The locals, however, did not consider the revealing properties of the tapis to be immodest.^[3] Among the lowland peoples who came under the full influence of the Spanish, this would soon change as Christianization and Hispanization brought along a much more conservative culture, and along with it, a mode of dress that emphasized modesty. The tapis would continue to be worn, but not in public venues, and usually only in more intimate locales such as ones own home. The tapis saw continued use among upland peoples, but as their upland environments were colder, their variation of the tapis tended to be thicker and thus less revealing.

[edit]References

^ Ifugao Province: Clothes
^ So, Michelle. Caught in the Net: ‘Tapis’ cops(editorial column) Sun Star Cebu. April 17, 2008
^ Scott, William Henry (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.ISBN 971-550-135-4.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapis_(Philippine_clothing)

Provinces of IFUGAO

2012-04-15T13:39:00.002-07:00

Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region inLuzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests. Its capital is Lagawe and borders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south.

It is named after the term "i-pugo" which means "i" (from/people) and "pugo" (hill), thus people of the hill.

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and Banaue Rice Terraces are the main tourist attractions in the province. These 2000-year-old terraces were carved into the mountains, without the aid of machinery, to provide level steps where the natives can plant rice. In 1995, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mountain tribes in Northern Luzon

Traveling to the northern part of the island Luzon will bring you not only to beautiful landscapes with amazing rice terraces. It will bring you also to the regions with remote villages and colorful and traditional living upland tribal communities. Their ancestors constructed the fascinating rice terraces with the perfect working irrigation systems. These mountain tribes still distinguish themselves by their specific cultural expression and their skills.

They have skills in making bowls, baskets, weapons and clothing. It was the Ifugao people who built up the rice terraces. They are still living and working as in the past.

In the past the Ifugao were feared head-hunters, just as other tribes in the mountainous regions of northern Luzon. The war-dance (the bangibang) is one of the cultural remnants of the time of tribal conflict.

This dance is traditionally held on the walls of the rice terraces by the men, equipped with spears, axes and wooden shields and a headdress made of leaves.

History of Ifugao & Kiangan

2012-04-15T13:24:00.001-07:00

History

During Spanish occupation, government was established in Kiangan. The Spanish occupation ended with the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. Ifugao used to be part of the former Mountain Province prior to its split into four separate and independent provinces. In 1905, Ifugao was made a sub-province of the old Mountain Province. Captain Pedro Bulan became the first native to become the first provincial governor.

Ifugao became the center of warfare in the last year of World War II when Gen. Yamashita launched his last stand against the American and Philippine Commonwealth forces at Mount Napulawan. He informally surrendered to Captain Grisham of the 6th US Army in the Philippines based in Kiangan, Ifugao before he was flown to Camp John Hay where he formally surrendered.

REF:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifugao

IFUGAO BANAWE HISTORY & PEOPLE

2012-04-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

It is named after the term "i-pugo" which means "i" (from/people) and "pugo" (hill), thus people of the hill.

History

Mountain tribes in Northern Luzon

They have skills in making bowls, baskets, weapons and clothing. It was the Ifugao people who built up the rice terraces. They are still living and working as in the past.

This dance is traditionally held on the walls of the rice terraces by the men, equipped with spears, axes and wooden shields and a headdress made of leaves.

ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifugao

THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE OF IFUGAO BANAWE

2012-04-15T11:40:00.001-07:00

The people of Ifugao province are Ifugao, but mistakenly called by non-Cordilleran as Igorot. Ifugaos are different from other tribes in the cordilleras in culture, tradition, language, and idealism, in everything. Neighboring non-Ifugao tribes have tried to annex or connect themselves with the Ifugao with the intention of sharing their positive reputation.

People and culture

ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifugao

Banawe Ifugao Rice Terraces

2012-04-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ifugao Rice Terraces

Main article: Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

An Ifugao Terraces Commission was created in 1994 but has since been superseded by the Banaue Rice Terraces task force, which was closed in 2002.

UNESCO has listed the Batad Rice Terraces and Bangaan Rice Terraces as a World Heritage Site since 1995, under the designation, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.^[1]

Here are the original huts built by the Batad people of the providence Banawe 2000 years old heritage.

ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banaue,_Ifugao