Ifugao Houses: keeping ancestral heritage alive
Where we are
The Ifugao Rice Terraces (IRT), in the Cordillera Central mountain range (Northern Luzon), is one of the six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines. Within this beautiful agricultural landscape, one can find the Ifugao traditional houses. The practices that surround their construction and usage are embedded in cultural and spiritual rituals. And these are central to maintaining the connection between the Ifugao people and their ancestral heritage alive.
Territory
The gradual erosion of Ifugao culture is symbolized by the continuing decline of the formerly ubiquitous traditional houses, which is perhaps the most tangible symbol of Ifugao culture.
By enhancing the community’s appreciation for Ifugao traditional houses – in terms of both functionality and physical features – they hope to revitalize the population’s cultural awareness. At the same time, they aim to help sustain traditional house-building techniques, practices and rituals to ensure that this important part of the Ifugao cultural heritage continues to be handed down to younger generations.
Rural Heritage
Ultimately, their mission to strengthen the cultural resilience of the indigenous community, responsible for building this unique and valuable landscape, counts with the support of RURITAGE’s heritage-led regeneration strategies to boost the development of a resilient Ifugao household and a long-term sustainability plan for the Ifugao Rice Terraces.
