It's more fun planting in Ifugao Rice Terraces

By Daniel B. Codamon

Thursday 14th of June 2012

BANAUE, Ifugao, June 14 (PIA) -- Employees of a Laguna-based electronics company found it more fun planting rice seedlings in the Ifugao Rice Terraces.

A total of 50 employees from Toshiba Information Equipment Philippines, Inc. (TIP) came in Banaue on June 8 to sign for the adoption of portions of the Ifugao Rice Terraces in Barangay Batad, for the company to maintain.

Led by TIP executive vice president Isao Morita and its two vice presidents Hirofumi Sato and Noboyuki Inukubo, the TIP team planted rice seedlings with the owners of the rice terraces they adopted since it is now the planting season.

Morita related to Provincial Tourism Officer Marietta Hangdaan that the one-hour activity made them appreciate the work done by Ifugaos every day.

Though the planting activity was cut short when the rains came, the employees wished that they still had more time to work in the field with farmers so they can fully experience the hardships in planting rice in the terraces, Morita said.

The group also helped in the restoration of some damaged stone walls of the rice terraces by carrying stones and digging the soil using the tools they have donated to the rice terraces owners. They also released checks as part of their commitment in the preservation, protection and maintenance of this man-made wonder.

Morita added that they will come back to fulfill their pledge to conduct regular visits and participate in the maintenance and rituals being performed during the rice farming cycle.

He said that the Ifugao Rice Terraces is worthy of restoration, preservation, protection and maintenance because of its beauty and grandeur and its ability to showcase the rich culture of the Ifugaos.

The Adopt-A-Terrace program was conceptualized as a strategy spearheaded by the Ifugao Tourism Office to help maintain, restore and preserve the Ifugao Rice Terraces due to their deterioration and abandonment by its owners because of its low or inadequate agricultural output to support their families. (JDP/DBC-PIA CAR Ifugao)