Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

• Storms; Other climate change impacts (Vulnerability to natural disasters)
• Financial resources (Lack of sustainable funding for the functioning management agencies)
• Management activities (Implementation of the Conservation and Management Plan through operational arrangements)
• Management systems/ management plan (Need for an integrated tourism Management Plan and mechanisms to control tourism related infrastructure developments)
• Society's valuing of heritage; Changes in traditional ways of life and knowledge system (Implementation of Community-Based Land Use and Zoning Plan)
• Human resources
• Illegal activities
• Legal framework

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4102

Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1077

Total amount provided to the property: USD 20,000 under Italy Funds-in-Trust for study tour; USD 47,000 under the UNESCO Participation Programme for emergency assistance following typhoon Emong in May 2009; USD 40,600, Netherlands Funds-In-Trust, emergency stabilization and restoration for the Rice Terraces after typhoon Juaning in July 2011

The State Party did not submit the state of conservation report, which was requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016), at the time this document was written. On the basis of the report submitted ahead of the 40th session in 2016, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/722/documents/, and on the basis of exchanges with the State Party that have occurred since, the following information on conservation issues highlighted by the Committee at its previous sessions could be gathered:

• Continued efforts have been made for the conservation and management of the rice terraces, in line with the Rice Terraces Master Plan 2015–2024;
• The Master Plan foresees the establishment of a database system for the rice terraces to provide adequate support for conservation activities, and also encourages the creation of a National Support Body and Office, to ensure that the government remains committed to the restoration and preservation of the rice terraces;
• A number of measures have been taken in order to preserve the rice terraces by developing and implementing community-based zoning and land use plans that take into account traditional value systems. The resulting maps are in the process of adoption by the relevant national authorities;
• The need to regularize the employees involved in conservation projects is recognized as an important step for the sustainable management of the site.

In the absence of a report on the state of conservation of the property, progress achieved by the State Party towards implementation of rice Terraces Master Plan (2015-2024) cannot be evaluated.

However, the State Party has sustained its efforts to address the conservation issues highlighted by the Committee at its previous sessions, which has resulted in the overall improvement of the property’s state of conservation and management.

The grassroots approach to the protection of the property will take longer to become fully functional, given that consultation and engagement with a diverse range of communities and stakeholders is a time-consuming process. This process is critical, however, in order to secure the long-term sustainability of the protection and management arrangements, as it ensures that people who live within the property and/or whose livelihoods depend on it can embrace the management system and contribute to its successful implementation.

It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to continue providing adequate human and financial resources to actively support the implementation of measures included in the Master Plan and which concern not only the tangible conservation of the property, but also the Ifugao practices and intangible cultural heritage associated with them.

The success of the property’s long-term management will depend on the positive role played by local communities. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that mechanisms are in place to guarantee their active involvement in the property’s management, and in turn guarantee that tourism development occurs in consultation with the local communities and in such a way that it benefits them.

Finally, it is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to continuously monitor the implementation of regulations to control infrastructure and physical developments within the property.