Banaue

Barangays

Banaue is politically subdivided into 18 barangays. 

Demographics

In the 2015 census, the population of Banaue was 21,837 people, with a density of 110 inhabitants per square kilometre or 280 inhabitants per square mile.

Ifugao Rice Terraces

Sometimes called by locals as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the Ifugao Rice Terraces begin at the base of the mountain range and extend several thousand feet upwards. Two of the terrace clusters in Banaue, namely Bangaan and Batad, are part of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription. It is said that their length, if put end to end, would encircle half of the globe. Built 2,000 years ago, the rice terraces manifest the engineering skill and ingenuity of the sturdy Ifugaos. They are irrigated by means of mountain streams and springs that have been tapped and channelled into canals that run downhill through the rice terraces.

The rice terraces once stretched north-east to Cagayan and as far south as Quezon. However they are now slowly being abandoned and showing signs of deterioration. The 1990 Luzon earthquake damaged some of the terraces' irrigation systems, while El Niño triggered droughts that led giant earthworms to erode the terraces' soil. Furthermore, the rice variety most suited to the area's cool climate is not a high-yielding crop; because it takes so long to mature, some Ifugao families have abandoned their land in the rice terraces in favour of land that reaps faster rewards.

An Ifugao Terraces Commission was created in 1994 and was superseded by the Banaue Rice Terraces task force, which was closed in 2002.

UNESCO has listed the Batad Rice Terraces and Bangaan Rice Terraces as a World Heritage Site since 1995, under the designation, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.

All located in the Ifugao region, the Rice Terraces also feature as one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Sites or GIAHS. They are supported by indigenous knowledge management of muyong, a private forest that caps each terrace cluster. The muyong is managed through a collective effort and under traditional tribal practices. The communally managed forestry area on top of the terraces contains about 264 indigenous plant species, mostly endemic to the region. The terraces form unique clusters of microwatersheds and are part of the whole mountain ecology. They serve as a rainwater filtration system and are saturated with irrigation water all year round. A biorhythm technology, in which cultural activities are harmonised with the rhythm of climate and hydrology management, has enabled farmers to grow rice at over 1 000 metres.

Contrary to popular notion, the Banaue Rice Terraces as seen from the viewpoint are not included in the UNESCO inscription, due to the presence of numerous modern structures. However, it is a National Cultural Treasure under the Ifugao Rice Terraces.

The Banaue Rice Terraces were chosen as one of the two green globe destinations of the country by the World Travel and Tour Council. It received an “International Historic Engineering Landmark Award” from the American Society of Civil Engineers. It was also acknowledged by the World Travel and Tour Council as a green globe destination in the Philippines.

The stone walled rice terraces were built by means of early tools and methods in order to maximise the use of land space, They exceed the height of the world’s tallest building if the vertical distance between top and bottom row are measured.

Transport

Banaue can be reached by jeepney, bus, or private car from Baguio City. For bus transportation, Ohayami Trans have a 9:00 PM and Coda lines (former KMS) have 9:30 PM daily trip from Baguio City.

GV Florida Transport Inc (Dangwa Transportation Co) Kamias Terminal at EDSA (near Kamuning Ave) Kamias, Quezon City departure time from Manila - Banaue is 10:30 PM (GV Florida, Sampaloc Terminal and 11:00 PM (GV Florida Kamias Terminal ) and from Banaue to Manila is 10:00 PM (Php 530.00 per person for the fare). It also provides daily trips directly to Banaue from Manila via SCTEX/TPLEX with Executive Deluxe buses, taking 7 to 8 hours.

Ohayami Transport Inc. in front of Rose Bowl, Baguio City. Daily and nightly trips from Baguio City to Banaue and vice versa (via San Jose City)

KMS Trans. Inc beside Rizal Park, Baguio City. Daily and nightly trips from Baguio City to Banaue vice versa (via San Jose City)