Clark Field, Pampanga-The wolrd-famous Banaue Rice Terraces, one of the Eight Wonders of the World, is in danger of being delisted from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) list of Living Cultural Heritage Landscapes because of its deteriorating condition.

This was bared by Lita Apilis Mondiguing, chairman of the Cordillera Administrative Region Tourism Council in the press conference for the North Philippines Explore 2002 Expedition.

Mondiguing, a native of Banaue, expressed concern for the growing problems in the rice terraces, which include changes in landscape brought about by typhoons, development, commercialism and earthworms, should be addressed.

The Banaue Rice Terraces, which was developed 3,000 years ago, was the first to be inscribed by the UNESCO on its list of Cultural Heritage Landscapes in the World in December 1995. If connected from end to end, the terraces would stretch halfway around the world.

The Banaue Rice Terraces form part of a system of world-famous structures in Ifugao province; others are in Hungduan, Mayuyaw and Hingyon. But the ones in Banaue are the most threatened, Mondiguing pointed out.

"The landscape has changed through the years. Largely influenced by commercialism, resulting from the construction of villages along the terraces' peripheries, and change in lifestyle by most of the youth, who opt to work in nearby areas than plant rice, resulting in abandoned ricefields," Mondiguing lamented.

She added that other problems include lack of water supply, destruction of terrace walls by typhoons and huge earthworms that plague the ricefields.

Mondiguing urged the creation of a body that would be composed of government agencies involved in the issue of heritage conservation to take care and preserve the world-famous structure. The government agencies include the Departments of Tourism, Environment and Agriculture.

She said that conservation efforts were started during the time of former President Ramos, but did not prosper for unknown reasons. On January 7 President Arroyo visited the rice terraces and announced that she would have the problems checked.

Mondiguing, however, admitted that maintenance of the rice terraces is costly as, besides being huge, labor also does not come cheap.

"Aside from the assistance that agencies could provide by undertaking conservation plans for the rice terraces, we are also seeking financial assistance from other sources for the preservation efforts," Mondiguing said.

She also urged the youth to return to the hinterlands and help in the preservation and the private sector to lend a hand.

Ramon Lopez Ty, chairman of the North Philippines Tourism Council, warned that as assessment of the rice terraces showed that what took our forefathers 3,000 years to build would be destroyed in the next five years unless something is done to address its problems.

He pointed out that the upcoming North Philippines Explore 2002 Expedition, a six-day 2,000 km adventure journey, is only one of the plans being undertaken by the council to assist in the preservation project.