Saturday, January 29, 2011

Banawe Rice Terraces, A Symbol of Persistence and Ingenuity

Musings By: AJCHTAR

The wonder that is the Banawe Rice Terraces...

It's difficult enough to have to build structures with a complete set of tools and the aid of construction machines, imagine how difficult it is to carve rice paddies off the side of mountains that are more than 300 meters in height with your bare hands and simple tools.

Although it is an extremely difficult task, harder than the herculean effort it took to build the great pyramids. it is a feat that was accomplished by the ancestral Filipinos when they built the Banawe Rice Terraces. To top it off, they even built a highly effective irrigation system to make sure the plants were well watered, it's an accomplishment that simply can't be replicated, you can't bring huge construction machines to the side of a huge mountain and not destroy what you've been working hard for.

The Banawe Rice Terraces are definitely proof of how persevering and hard working Filipinos are. Despite their material deficit they still managed to carve what is arguably one of the greatest human accomplishments, if you think putting up a pyramid slab is, imagine having to carve through the side of tough mountains and have no support on your body, the moment you fall is the same you may drop dead.

Unfortunately, these days, less children take interest in planting on the Terraces, the people of Banawe who still plant there claim that the rice yield is a lot less than what is needed to supply their needs, sadly, many people of the provinces decide to go to the city and turn their backs on what is probably the greatest man-made wonder in the Philippine archipelago, the Banawe Rice Terraces.

Image credit by: destination360

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