Conférence internationale Biodiversité: science et gouvernance
Atelier 13 - Diversité biologique, diversité culturelle : Enjeux autour des savoirs locaux
27 janvier 2005
CONSERVATION AND LAND USE:
USING INDIGENOUS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
IN IFUGAO, PHILIPPINE CORDILLERAS
Teodoro Baguilat Jr.
In the district of Ifugao in the northern Philippines, farmers traditionally grow a great
number of rice varieties on their terraced lands. The traditional rice is called tinawon,
and there may be as many as 100 varieties in one village. These rice varieties, which
are endemic to the area, are tasty and filling. They are also of special significance for
rituals such as for making the rice wine used in community festivals linked to the
agricultural cycle. Traditional varieties require six months from planting to harvesting
and provide relatively low yields. They are, however, resistant to pests, and can be
grown without chemical pesticides.
New rice varieties are being introduced that are high-yielding, but require the use of
pesticides and fertilizers. Both Philippine government agencies and multinational
companies advertise and promote these foreign varieties, and farmers are shifting to
them. This has several negative impacts. Farmers fall into debt from buying
pesticides and chemical fertilizers. These products also diminish the biodiversity of
rice fields and render impossible rice paddy cultivation of fish, shells and clams.
Finally, as traditional rice varieties are essential for the celebration of community
festivals, the cultivation of new varieties undermines the ceremonies related to
agriculture.
Threats to rice terrace agriculture include introduced pest species, such as the yellow
snail, damaged irrigation systems, collapsed terrace walls and land conversion. Local
stakeholders identified environmental, economic, political and socio-cultural causes
for this degradation, and expressed the view that community empowerment and
promotion of indigenous systems are the best means to safeguard rice terrace
cultivation.
The Save Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMO) mobilizes communities to counteract
the dominance of foreign rice varieties. As part of a pilot project, farmers have
decided to promote local varieties and not use pesticides and insecticides. SITMO
also trains local rice farmers to find markets abroad for their products.
Workshops have been organized to document the knowledge of local people to
establish plans and policies for community-based land use and zoning. Zoning is
based upon local understandings and use of different land areas. Ifugao villagers
transcribed their knowledge of traditional land zones onto conventional base maps,
and information relating to these land zones has been recorded in the village dialect.
The area of forest cover is separated from the area of terrace agriculture by a buffer
zone, which minimizes human impacts on the forest cover. The area of human
settlement is also separated from both the forest cover and rice terraces by a buffer
zone, so that the human settlement area does not disturb rice cultivation or forest.
Through this process, planners have became more conscious of local values and
knowledge, as local ownership and responsibilities have been emphasized. Maps
Conférence internationale Biodiversité: science et gouvernance
Atelier 13 - Diversité biologique, diversité culturelle : Enjeux autour des savoirs locaux
27 janvier 2005
and other materials were presented to the village assembly so that everyone’s
viewpoint could be discussed, considered and accommodated. Finally, with
suggestions from the village assembly, land use plans and regulations were
consolidated, and the village and municipal governments approved a zoning
ordinance.
The next step will be to incorporate indigenous concepts into national policies. The
challenge will be to define and maintain the local values related to land use.