This is really sad. Due to the continuous deterioration of the rice terraces, not to mention the shanties that has sprung up on the terraces itself, the Ifugao Terraces (Banaue, Batad, etc.) just might be taken off the list.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) on Thursday said the scenic Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Cordilleras was at risk of being stricken off the World’s Heritage List should the Philippines fail to restore it in two years.

The World Heritage Committee in 2001 inscribed the Rice Terraces in the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger, joining 32 other endangered World Heritage Sites.

“The Rice Terraces is a delicate, evolving cultural landscape. In the absence of a systematic monitoring program or a comprehensive management plan, it is impossible to guarantee [its] preservation and sustainable development,” a statement from the Foreign Affairs department quoted the panel as saying last June.

Souce: GMANews.TV

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