Towards the development of a sustainable financing mechanism for the conservation of the Ifugao rice terraces [Mountain Province, Philippines]

The lecture discusses the need to develop a sustainable financing mechanism for the conservation of the Ifugao Rice Terraces. Specifically, it aims to: discuss the importance of the Ifugao Rice Terraces as a heritage and public good; identify the advantages and disadvantages of the UNESCO declaration of the Terraces in the World Heritage List; describe the problems plaguing the Terraces; and describe possible mechanisms to finance the conservation of the Terraces. The rice terraces in four municipalities in Ifugao were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras under the category of organically evolved landscapes. However, the terraces have deteriorated over the years, and those inscribed in the World Heritage List have been reclassified to the World heritage in Danger List in 2001. The declaration of the Ifugao Rice Terraces as a World Heritage Site in 1995 brought both positive and negative impacts. The positive impacts include the heightened attention from the international community for the terraces, more initiatives from government, greater economic activities, and enhanced cultural awareness. On the other hand, the negative impacts includes restrictions of landuses and structures that can be build in the heritage areas, in some cases the culture of the Ifugaos are comprised to give way to commercial activities, and the adverse effects on the physical, social and natural environments of enhanced tourism. The selective inclusion of terraces in the List also resulted in the more rapid deterioration of those terraces in municipalities that were excluded from the list. The main problems in the terraces are damaged terraces due to landslides and earthworms, inadequate water supply and poor irrigation system, and pest infestation (e.g., rodents, golden snails). These have resulted in the abandonment of the terraces, which has comprised the sustainability of the rice terraces. Conserving the Ifugao Rice Terraces in general, and the rice terraces inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in particular, requires substantial funds on a continuing basis, which the limited budget of the local government can not support. Thus, it is necessary to develop and institutionalize a financing mechanism for the conservation of the rice terraces. Possible fund source include local and foreign tourists, resource users (e.g., water and timber), researchers, students, business sector, and consumer of products from the terraces such as rice. The local people can also contribute to these efforts, but in terms of labor counterpart and the performance of cultural practices. Site-level financing mechanisms such as user fees (local and foreign tourists), adoption program, and corporate and individual donations can be adopted for the rice terraces. Stakeholders prefer that a trust fund be created for this purpose, which will be managed by a multi-sectoral council that is not under the influence of politicians. Under a Payment for Cultural Services scheme, the farmer sellers should understand their responsibilities. To ensure that both buyers and sellers do their part, a Memorandum of Agreement should be executed by the council and farmer groups. This should specify the amount of payment, duration of the agreement, land use practices to be undertaken sanctions for non-compliance, and recognition for good performance. The institutionalization of the conservation fund will require the passage of an ordinance that will emanate from the barangay [village] and endorsed to the municipal or even provincial level.