Behind pretty pictures in postcards of the famous Banaue Rice Terraces, what problems do Ifugao upland farmers currently face to preserve its beauty and the rich culture behind it? Has the Eighth Wonder of the World been forsaken in favor of modernization and a better life?
Find out this Sunday (July 6) in a special documentary titled “Tinawon: Bigas at Buhay” narrated by veteran broadcast journalist Tony Velasquez.
Seen through the eyes of 65-year old farmer Jimmy Cabbigat, a retired Banaue municipal agricultural officer, are the hopes and fears about the future of the rice terraces, and the challenges of modernization that threaten the centuries-old Ifugao rice culture and traditions.
The farming of Ifugao rice or “tinawon” is a legacy passed on from generation to generation. But because of outmigration and changing lifestyle preferences of younger Ifugaos, Manong Jimmy worries that someday there will no Ifugao farmers left to preserve the Banaue Rice Terraces.
“The problem with today’s generation, they do not want to do dirty work,” he says. He added that even his own children have no time and patience to continue their family’s tradition. Will Manong Jimmy be the last tinawon farmer in his family? What future awaits the world-famous Ifugao Rice Terraces?
[stextbox id=”astig”]Don’t miss “Tinawon: Bigas at Buhay” this Sunday (July 6) on ABS-CBN Sunday’s Best, after “Gandang Gabi Vice.” “Tinawon: Bigas at Buhay” is an international co-production of ABS-CBN News and Malaysia’s Sheunik Sdn. Bhd.[/stextbox]