World Heritage Volunteers – Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras 2.0

BACKGROUND In 1995, the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras were inscribed into the list of World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It was a testimony to the Ifugao’s ingenuity and dedication to culture, which had led to the millennia-long maintenance of the rice terrace cluster system. When the Rice Terraces were declared as a World Heritage in danger in 1998, several efforts were made to combat its degradation. The terraces were later removed from the list, but even in 2014, the site still faces several challenges. It continues to be vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. Local studies identify erratic rainfall, low temperatures, typhoons, severe weather patterns and fog/cloudiness as climate hazards that negatively affect pollination of native flora during the flowering stage, increase pest population, delay panicle initiation and grain formation, and cause plant stunting, among others. Furthermore, climate change has increased flooding depths, exacerbated soil loosening, caused more frequent landslides and collapse of dikes and terrace walls. YSDA organized its first WHV project in 2014 to rehabilitate an abandoned rice terrace and introduce the role of youth volunteers in the preservation of heritage sites. After its implementation, opportunities remain for future cooperation with the local community and agencies in charge of maintaining the Rice Terraces. WHV – Youth at the Terraces (RTC 2.0) will mobilize youth to demonstrate the contribution of youth volunteerism to the long-term management of the Rice Terraces, and inculcate a deep-seated appreciation of young people for World Heritage site conservation and intercultural cooperation.

The World Heritage Volunteers Initiative The WHV Initiative of the UNESCO-World Heritage Centre was launched in 2008 “to mobilize and involve young people and youth organizations in World Heritage preservation and promotion”. It consists of youth action camps which are organized by local youth organizations or NGOs. Action camps generally last between two and four weeks, where youth volunteers carry out concrete actions, comprising both hands-on preventive conservation activities and information sessions on issues related to World Heritage, as well as activities carried out together with local communities. Patrimonio, the official mascot for the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers

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Since 2008, the WHV Initiative has involved 2,000 volunteers in 173 action camps, in 29 countries with 55 local organizations or NGOs.1 By far, the WHV – Youth at the Terraces (RTC 2.0) and its predecessor, WHV – Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras project, are the first and only project approved in the Philippines by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris.

For more information, check out http://www.whvolunteersorg/index_e.html

Youth for Sustainable Development Assembly (YSDA) Youth for Sustainable Development Assembly is a national youth-led and youth-serving organization in the Philippines that support youth involvement in all aspects and levels of sustainable development, starting with local communities. Our main thrust is to support young people in the development and implementation of community-based sustainable development demonstration projects, and provide platforms for young people to voice out their concerns. YSDA harnesses youth leadership through the spirit of volunteerism. In 2012, it became the only Philippine member of the Network for Voluntary Development in Asia (NVDA), the only regional network on volunteerism in Asia. Since then, it has exchanged, hosted and sent almost 150 volunteers to Greece, Japan, Korea, Slovakia, Poland, Spain and Italy. It has conducted volunteer projects in the Philippines, specifically in Pangasinan, Quezon City, Manila, Palawan, Mindoro, Dumaguete, Cebu, Bohol, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Sulu, and Davao, among others. Since 2000, it has mobilized approximately 10,000 volunteers. YSDA is also the first Philippine-based youth organization to become a member of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), the biggest network of international voluntary organizations in the world. YSDA was founded in 1994 and is registered as a non-government organization with the Securities Exchange Commission. It has also been registered with the Philippine National Youth Commission since 1999. For more information, contact the Secretariat at [email protected]

Project Location: Kiangan, Ifugao Kiangan is a municipality in the province of Ifugao, Northern Luzon, Philippines. It was named after Kiyyangan, the first Ifugao village at the west bank of the Ibulao River, and is considered the cradle of the Ifugao race. It is the oldest and most historic town in the province. With a population of approximately 15,500, most people still generally rely on agriculture as the main source of livelihood. They are located in the 14 barangays and one special economic zone that comprises the municipality. Kiangan is mountainous, with dry and wet season. The dry spell is from January to April, and the wet season from May to December.2

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Kiangan Tourism Office. http://www.kiangan.gov.ph

The Nagacadan Rice Terraces cluster is one of the four terrace systems in Ifugao declared by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and by the Food and Agriculture Organization as a Globally Important Agriculture Heritage System site. It has an approximate area of 10 hectares and displays the ingenuity of the Ifugao and harmony between man and nature.3

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Kiangan Tourism Office. http://www.kiangan.gov.ph

PROJECT DETAILS Project Location: Nagacadan Rice Terraces, Brgy. Nagacadan, Kiangan, Ifugao Project Location: 15 May 2015 to 30 August 2016

Project Activities Activity Team Leaders’ Training Baseline Survey of the World Heritage site World Heritage rehabilitation Mid-term volunteer service World Heritage Youth Dialogues

Dates Jun 1-7 Jun 22-28

No. of Local Vols. 20 10

No. of Int’l Vols. 0 10

Jul 13-26 Jul to Jan 2016 Jan to Mar 2016

20 0 0

20 3 0

1. Team Leaders’ Training (7 days) – It will gather Filipino volunteers for a training on volunteer management, program support, and terrace management. The participants will serve as team leaders during the actual volunteer work camp. 2. Baseline Survey of the World Heritage Site (7 days) – Twenty local and international volunteers will work with site authorities and the local government to conduct a physical, socioeconomic and market survey of the Nagacadan Rice Terraces. This activity aims to provide baseline data that will later on be crucial in measuring quantitative and qualitative impact of volunteerism in the project, such as identifying existing biodiversity conservation techniques and data; socioeconomic situation of Kiangan; social perception on the Nagacadan Rice Terraces, among others. 3. World Heritage Workcamp (14 days) – Forty local and international volunteers will participate in a short-term workcamp that aims to conduct the following (tentative) activities in the Rice Terraces: o o o o o

Rehabilitation of rice terraces and eco-trail Intercultural sports festival (complemented by language lessons, presentation of ethnic songs and dances, food festival) Construction of a Materials Recovery Facility for enhanced waste segregation Scouting and setting up a flora & fauna open exhibit Impact Assessment

4. Mid-term volunteer service (6 months) – Three mid-term volunteers will be assigned to the Nagacadan Rice Terraces to oversee the maintenance of the Rice Terraces every 3 months. The volunteers will conduct various civil service activities such as:

o o o o

Improving tourism publicity materials and assisting the Tourism Office in other tourist relations/publicity activities; Conducting computer and English language literacy seminars for elderly, mothers and children; Mobilizing local youth to regularly monitor and maintain the rehabilitated rice terraces Conducting the final impact assessment at the end of the 6 months

5. World Heritage Youth Dialogues (2 days each for 3 months) – A series of dialogues/short forums will be organized in universities in Manila for students, government, private sector and site managers to promote volunteering on World Heritage sites and other heritage sites.