The rice terraces in Banawe, Philippines was adjudged as one of the best among the man made structures to receive an award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
It has conferred the International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Award. It hailed to be one of the world’s greatest engineering wonders.
The Ifugaos, who are the aborigines of the area had built the structure using engineering principles far advance of their time.
Their use of civil engineering principles such as hydrology, sustainable development, efficient use of water resources and water irrigation can be seen in their meticulous design of this ancient land management program.
The program has never been rivaled and it proved that the concept of sustainable development has been around for the past 2000 years.
With a total length of 640 kilometers, the Banawe rice terraces was the first Philippine landmark identified by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) as a “World’s Heritage Site”.
It has demonstrated the ingenuity and talent of the Filipinos as a people. It has also shown that the same had already a distinct cultural identity of their own prior to the coming of the Spaniards who then conquered and colonized the country.
The preservation and conservation of the Banawe rice terraces and the rest of the country’s landmark is enjoined by every patriotic Filipino, because they are the priceless legacies from their ancestors, the source of inspiration and the national pride of the nation.
