Daily TribuneThe national government recently created the Office of the Provincial Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer in Mountain Province to provide local officials technical assistance on the construction of pathways and tramlines toward the rice terraces.
The Department of Agriculture and the local government of Mountain Province will be building pathways and tramlines toward the province's rice terraces, a United Nations' world heritage site, to boost sustainable tourism in the area.
Engineer Winston Beyden, officer-in-charge of the DA-Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering, said the national government recently created in Mountain Province the Office of the Provincial Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer to provide local officials technical assistance on the construction of pathways and tramlines toward the rice terraces.
"In a strategic move to boost local tourism, farm pathways along rice terraces will be developed instead of traditional farm-to-market roads. This approach aims to ensure the safety of tourists visiting the province," Beyden said.
The rice terraces in The Cordillera region consist of five clusters, cover four municipalities, and were built 2,000 years ago by the ethnic group Ifugao to plant rice upland.
Separate OPABE
Within the region, only Mountain Province has a separate office for agricultural and biosystems engineering or OPABE so far. This was made possible also through Provincial Ordinance 465 which complies with Republic Act 10915 or the Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Act of 2016.
"Mountain Province's OPABE serves as a template showcasing to other offices in The Cordillera region what the office is capable of accomplishing. This collaboration between Mountain Province and the DA is expected to bring significant improvements in agricultural infrastructure and tourism in the region," Beyden said.
Due to the effects of climate change and migration of farmers to urban areas, the rice terraces started degenerating and were included in the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2001.
The DA said the pathways and tramlines will cause minimal soil erosion to the rice terraces and encourage more Filipinos to visit the heritage site to appreciate its beauty and social significance, and help protect it.
Geo-Agri mapping
Through Geo-Agri mapping, a web-based application, Beyden said engineers will be able to determine the appropriate areas for the pathways and tramlines project, along with irrigation and post-harvest facilities of the mountainous rice farmers.
Beyden added the DA will also build diversion dams and canals, and farms for sugarcane, coffee, chickens and goats in Mountain Province.
