Location: Barangay Bagnen Oriente, Bauko, Mountain Province, Philippines
Balew Rice Terraces (often locally misspelled or phonetically termed as baliw) are exquisitely carved, stone-walled rice paddies located in Bagnen Oriente, municipality of Bauko in Mountain Province of the Philippines. It nestles the slopes of Mount Polis and facing the lower Bauko valley, where it rely on the pristine Kabanbanaan Watershed for irrigation.
It rests in an elevation of about 1,620 meters (5,316 feet) above sea level. It is built with precise stone-and-earth tiered walls to fit steep mountain slopes. It sustained by traditional communal watershed and forest management. It is considered an authentic, living cultural landscape of the Cordilleras rather than a commercialized site.
I happened to capture this rice terraces when I was heading to Bagnen Proper for my Bauko 7 Peaks Climb. While Mapanawil Rice Terraces is along accessible road, this one has been captured from my farthest position. I would still find another opportunity to set foot here in the future with my family.
These three rice terraces of Bauko can be visited just in one day. A treasure that Bauko can be proud of and a legacy that their ancestors left for Bauko's generations.
For both 7 Peaks of Bauko Climb and Bauko tour, you can count on the expertise of Angela Andrada and she can be contacted at 09283927662.
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