The Beyond News

Banaue is  officially the Municipality of Banaue is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ifugao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 20,652 people. It is widely known as the site of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Batad Rice Terraces and Bangaan 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. The terraces are believed by many to be more than 2,000 years old as postulated by early Philippine anthropologist Otley Beyer, recent studies by carbon dating however contends this and instead the structures may be less than 1,000 years old.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.

Foods in  Banaue  :

(1)  Adobo :

The unofficial Philippines national food is made with pork or chicken simmered in soy sauce and vinegar with loads of black pepper and crushed garlic. Adobo is one of the few dishes in the Philippines with local origins as it was given the Spanish name later. This lip-smacking dish is as Filipino as you can get, and it goes with nothing else but rice. Every family in the Philippines has its own way of cooking adobo, so it might taste a little different from place to place.

(2) Lumpia : 

Feel like tasting Filipino dishes for lunch? Try Lumpia. Influenced by Chinese cuisine, this dish is a delicious deep-fried spring roll. The roll is stuffed with a mixture of chopped vegetables and minced meat. Combined with the right sauces, it is the most scrumptious dish you will ever have for lunch. This is definitely a traditional Filipino dish after trying which, you will never look at spring rolls the same way again. It is a major part of Philippines food culture. 

(3) Inasal : 

Do you love roast chicken? Then you are in for a treat! The Visayan islands’ residents have perfected the dish, and you will never taste anything like Inasal. Marinated in ginger, lemongrass, and calamansi juice, the chicken is roasted over fire and basted with annatto oil. Served with rice, soy sauce dip, and sometimes liquid chicken fat, Inasal is definitely one of the Philippines food items one shouldn’t miss at all.

(4) Pancit : 

Also known as Pancit, this is another one of the most delicious Philippines foods influenced by Chinese cuisine. This simple dish is a combination of noodles and whatever meat or vegetables you want to add. Pancit is a name that originated from the Hokkien term ‘pian e sit’, which means ‘something conveniently cooked.’ It might be simple but it is rich with flavor and you will definitely love every bite of it.

(5) Sinigang : 

Often associated with tamarind, Sinigang is a Philippines traditional food that is sour and savory. The dish is a stew made with spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, ginger, and fish sauce. You can choose the meat you want to make the dish with pork, beef, fish, or shrimp. No matter which one you choose, the result is always a mouthwatering stew served with rice or eaten on its own as soup.

Weather & geography in  Banaue  :

In Banaue, the wet season is warm, muggy, and overcast and the dry season is comfortable and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 57°F to 79°F and is rarely below 52°F or above 83°F.Located in the rugged Cordillera mountains of northern Luzon, Banaue is 1500m above sea level. It lies atop Mt. Amuyao, the highest peak in the area. The terraces cover 10,360 square kilometers, including the prime areas of Banaue and Batad.Weather, like the rest of Luzon, alternated between a rainy and dry season, usually between November and April. Temperatures are cool year-round due to the high elevation.

Per day Cost in  Banaue  :

Price : Starting at 450 USD per person. Day 4 in the sample itinerary above is optional. Meaning, if you want to go to Banaue without Sagada, your itinerary will end on day 3. As mentioned above, we strongly advise to visit Sagada as a day trip from Banaue, and that's why we present day 4 in the itinerary above.

History of  Banaue  :

The rice terraces are situated in the Cordilleras of Luzon island. The remote area some 220 miles (350 km) from Manila has long been home to the Ifugao, wet-rice agriculturalists who began building the terraces about the 1st century CE. Despite possessing only basic tools, the Ifugao created an engineering marvel: a vast network of rice terraces sustained by an elaborate irrigation system. According to reports, the terraces which resemble steps carved into the mountainside cover some 4,000 square miles (10,360 square km), and their total length is estimated at approximately 12,500 miles (20,100 km), roughly half the Earth’s circumference. While the rice terraces were important to the Ifugao economy, they also served a cultural function, requiring intensive cooperation among the people.By the early 21st century, however, the number of Ifugao in the area had greatly diminished as many migrated to more urban centres. As a result, a significant portion of the terraces began to deteriorate. Six years after sections were designated a World Heritage site in 1995, the terraces were added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage in Danger. In addition to neglect, officials raised concerns about unregulated development in the area and the lack of strong management. Major restoration and conservation efforts were subsequently undertaken, and in 2012 the terraces were removed from the list. During this time officials also began promoting sustainable tourism, as the terraces became an increasingly popular attraction, especially those in the village of Batad.