NHK World Heritage 100 Series (en anglais)

Texte narratif (en anglais)

The Cordillera Mountains are located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The mountains are over 2000 meters above sea level and are the backdrop for a local myth passed down from generation to generation.

Bugan and Wigan were the first Ifugao. God gave them rice, and something that enabled them to grow rice in the harsh mountains – The Rice Terraces. This is the Ifugao village of Bangaan. The Ifugao tribe have cultivated and protected these 20,000 hectares of Rice Terraces for over two thousand years, preserving traditions described in their local myth. The people of the Ifugao live in stilt houses. Harvested rice is stored in the attic. Smoke rises from below and keeps mice away. Bulul is the God protecting the rice. These beautiful Rice Terraces often referred to as "Stairways to Heaven" were inscribed on the List of World Heritage in 1995. Indigenous chants sung during the planting and harvesting are called Hudhud. The Hudhud’s 40 epic tales were proclaimed the Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

In the 16th century, the Philippines became a Spanish colony. The Ifugao refused to convert to Catholicism and kept their tribal pride. However, the impact of modernization is now affecting this village. Many young people moved to the city and thirty percent of the Rice Terraces are abandoned and left fallow. Given the situation, the site was inscribed in the World Heritage in Danger list. Some young people have stayed in the village to try and protect the Rice Terraces handed down from their ancestors. This young Ifugao man is one of them. He is helping elders without successors to repair the collapsed Rice Terrace walls.

It is hoped that these Rice Terraces, given by God and valued as World Heritage, will be passed on to future generations. Chants calling for the people who left the village echo in the "Stairways to Heaven".