Research
Agricultural Changes in the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleraregion, Northern Philippines and their Impacts on Labor Dynamics and Food Security
The study covered four rice terraces clusters in the Cordillera region, Northern Philippines located in Asipulo, Ifugao, Tanglagan, Apayao Province, Bagumbayan, Tabuk City, Kalinga and Natonin, Mt. Province. The study assessed the changes that has occurred in the rice terraces and their impacts on labor dynamics and food security. To obtain the necessary data, a timeline workshop was conducted for each site involving ten farmer key informant for each study site and validated by a separate group of ten farmers. The result showed that the rice terraces started mainly as a traditional type of farming system relying mainly on human labor using farming practices developed and handed down from older generations. The modern farming innovation adopted by farmers are: substitution of traditional rice varieties to high yielding rice varieties, use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides, farm mechanization with hand tractors, rice threshers and rice mills and improvement of irrigation canals. High yielding rice varieties increased yield of rice by 50% to 70% vis a vis the traditional varieties and enhanced the food security situation in the rice terraces.
Aquatic Biodiversity Analysis of Four Rice Terraces Clusters in the Cordillera Region, Northern Philippines
An aquatic biodiversity analysis was conducted in four rice terraces clusters in the Cordillera region in the northern central part of the Philippines. Data was obtained using the quadrat sampling method. The location of sampling activities are the four rice terraces clusters namely: (1) Asipulo, Ifugao; (2) Natonin, Mt Province; (3) Bagumbayan, Kalinga; and (4) Tanglagan, Apayao. Each place of sampling had two (2) blocks: (1) Rice paddy fields and (2) Irrigation canals/creeks. The number of quadrats randomly taken in each block was ten (10) plots with each quadrat measuring 1m x 1m. The number of plots in all places was 4 sites x 2 blocks x 10 plots = 80 plots. Individuals of shell, crab, fish and frog species circumscribed within plot/quadrat boundaries were counted, identified and sorted according to species. The importance value (IV) of each species in each block was determined. This was done by taking the sum of Relative Density (%) and Relative Frequency (%) of each species in a given block. Importance Value = Relative Density + Relative Frequency. The Shannon Wiener Diversity Index (H), Evenness Index (E) and Simpson’s Index (C) was obtained for each species. The higher values of H, E and C means the greater diversity character of the community being evaluated.
