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Heritage

IFUGAO RICE TERRACES (Ifugao)
The Ifugao Rice Terraces was inscribed in the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST in 1995 ""because of its great beauty that expresses conquered and conserved harmony between humankind and the environment.""

There are five major rice terraces listed which are similar yet distinct from one another:

BANAUE. This is the most famous of all the sites. It is the artistic center of the Ifugao carvers and the Ikat weavers.

BATAD. Located also in Banaue, it is home to the spectacular tiered, amphitheater-shaped terraces.

MAYOYAO. Located in Banaue. The organic Ifugao rice, Tinawon, in red and white variety, is harvested here in abundance.

HAPAO. Its stone-walled rice terraces date back to 650 AD and is located in Hungduan. Mt. Napulawan is located here.

KIANGAN. It is home to two famous rice terraces sites known for their size and visual impact: Nagacadan and Julungan.

Location : Ifugao Province

Operating Hours : Can be visited all year round but best time to visit is from January to May when the weather is drier.

Contact Numbers : Ifugao Rice Terraces Conservation Heritage Office (IRTCHO) (6374) 382-2108
Department of Tourism Cordillera Administrative Region (6374) 442-6708/ 442-8848

Getting there : - Takes around 10 hours ride from Manila via Pan-Pacific Highway

- Takes around 45 minutes from Manila by chartered plane to Bagabag Airport
- From Manila:
Accessible by Public Utility Buses plying the route Manila-Banaue such as Auto Bus
- From Bagabag Airport :
Accessible by Jeeps or buses (2 -3 hours ride to Banaue)
Kiangan, Mayoyao and Hungduan are accessible by hired jeeps from Banaue town proper

THE IFUGAO EPIC (Ifugao)
The UNESCO World Heritage List has recognized the Ifugao epic ""HUDHUD,"" citing it as among the ""Masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of the humanity.""

The HUDHUD Epic is the only Southeast Asian Cultural Piece selected in the UNESCO list. This was the first time that the UNESCO gave the awards. It was the second time that UNESCO honored Ifugao, after the province's famous rice terraces was included among UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1995.

The HUDHUD, once chanted, will go on for two to three days. The epic is chanted by Ifugao women, usually at harvest time, funeral wakes, and wedding time. There used to be many versions of the HUDHUD but the advent of Catholicism in the province has helped dilute this heritage.

The late anthropologist Fr. Francis Lambrecht, CICM brought HUDHUD to the international scene, which he claims has been sung by generations of Ifugaos since the late 17th century and still is a central part of the Ifugao life.

The social characteristic of the ancient Ifugaos as seen in the HUDHUD showed a strong matriarchal society.

An annual Hudhud chanting competition is conducted every May 1 in Kiangan, Ifugao (Kotad Kiangan).

ST. PAUL SUBTERRANEAN NATIONAL PARK (Palawan)
A picturesque stretch of a river, running for an unknown length that overwhelms the beholder, is the main fare offered by the Subterranean River. Emptying itself into St. Paul bay, this physical wonder was appropriately described by a visitor thus: "Nature sculpture is everywhere." Carved by time itself, unaided by the hand of man, there reposes a complete and finished griffin (or is it a Sphinx resting amid the sands of the desert?). Between stately stone pillars rises a series of steps leading from the water to some temple within. Then the cavern stretches away, an almost perfect rectangle with walls and ceiling decorated with many colors - surely the deft work of an artistic, designing hand. One sharp turn of the way and there appears a huge stalactite glittering like a chandelier from the ceiling of some great ballroom. Suddenly, one boat glides into a great chamber resplendent with colors and decoration like a stage set for a scene in some grand opera.

Location : Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

Operating Hours : The Park is open to visitors all year round but best time to visit is from January to May when the weather is drier.
Operating hours- 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
With entrance fee
The Park enforces a “No Permit, No Entry” policy. Visitors are requested to register at the Park Headquarters for a short briefing.

Contact Numbers : Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Office (6348) 433-2409
Department of Tourism Region 4- (632) 524-1969/ 524-1528

Getting there :
- Takes around an hour by plane from Manila to Puerto Princesa
City Airport
- Around 16-18 hours from Manila by boat to Puerto Princesa City Port

- From Puerto Princesa City proper :
Accessible by a 1 ½ hour jeepney or hired shuttle van ride

PHILIPPINE BAROQUE CHURCHES (Manila, Bulacan, Ilocos Norte, Miag-ao)
The Philippines' Baroque churches are cited on the World Heritage List because of their unusual interpretation of a major artistic style. Baroque architecture, which was the dominant western style from around the mid-16th century until the death of France's Louis XIV shortly after 1700, reflects a life dominated by the desire to impress through exuberance and extravagance.

Although the style has produced celebrated works, it takes its name from barroco - Spanish for a large, irregular, and expensive pearl considered bizarre rather than beautiful. Baroque evolved as Europe was undergoing relentless religious wars; architecture and its ornamentation became tools to woo a congregation's loyalty.

The Filipino brand of baroque began in the late 16th century when Catholic missionaries came from Spain and Mexico. The local version contrasts with courtly Europe's rendition - although at first glance, there are the familiar gilding, florid floral themes, fully decorated pillars and fancy backgrounds. Four parishes in particular are considered of unquestionable importance to understanding the baroque attitude and human creativity.

SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH (Manila City)
While the mission trio projects fine folk aesthetics, the last of the churches selected as baroque model is a grande dame of metropolitan achievement for the late 16th century. Built from 1586 to 1606 inside Intramuros, the Walled City where the city of Manila began, San Agustin Church is the oldest extant Christian sanctuary in the Far East, and the Philippines' oldest stone edifice. It marks the start of using permanent materials in contrast to indigenous, lightweight architectural media.

A plain exterior hides a sanctuary that attempts to bring heaven, in all its visual splendor, down to earth. The nave is a marvel of 19th-centry handpainted trompe-l'oeil. The magnificent retable is alive with antique images tucked into gilded niches. Throughout the sanctuary, in the convent and rooms converted into museum displays, are rare works of art accumulated from Asia and the Philippines over the centuries. In a chapel beside the main altar, the last conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, is entombed.

Location : Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila

Operating Hours : Church open daily and during masses and services
Museum Open Daily (8:00 AM-12:00 NN; 1:00 PM-6:00 PM)
With admission fee

Contact Numbers : San Agustin Museum Office- (632) 527-4060
Department of Tourism National Capital Region- (632) 524-2345

Getting there :
- Around 15 minutes walk from Rizal Park;
- Around 15 minutes walk from LRT Central Station
- Accessible by taxi (approximately 10 minutes from Rizal Park)