When we arrived in Banaue, we immediately understood why the local rice terraces are referred to as the “eighth wonder of the world.” Nestled into the side of the Cordillera Mountains like a gigantic, green amphitheater, the terraces are actually monumental creations carved by hand thousands of years ago by the ancestors of the local Igorot tribe.
These stepped earthworks reflect the deep respect for rice in the heart of the Philippines and the engineering genius needed to survive. The terraces rise as high as 1,500 meters above sea level, cover steep mountain slopes, and are fed by a complex, centuries-old irrigation system that harnesses water from the mountains. Rice is the foundation of Filipino culture, and the green cathedrals of Banaue are living testament to the determination with which the locals have clung to this way of life and traditional technologies for thousands of years.
