Batad Rice Terraces

I know, I know. You do not have to go to Batad to see awesome rice terraces. But if you are staying the night in Banaue anyway, go to Batad even if it kills you. The rice terraces in Batad are among five inscribed clusters that have been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.  The four others are:  the Nagacadan terrace cluster in the municipality of Kiangan;  Hungduan terrace cluster, the central Mayoyao terrace cluster and the Bangaan terrace cluster in Banaue. 

What makes Batad appealing is that the terraced mountainsides form an amphitheater-like set-up, with the terraces getting flatter and wider at the bottom, where the village is nestled. The walls of the Batad Rice Terraces are also distinct because they are packed with stones, and not mud.

To get there, you take a jeep from Banaue. I am told that there is a public jeepney that leaves for Batad in the afternoon, which did not fit in with our itinerary. There are those who will drive their cars to the Saddle, where the trekking starts. My husband, who loves his car, fished out P2,500 for a private jeepney for the four of us and the standard P1,200 for the tour guide. 

It is possible to reach Batad without a tour guide if you are young, fit and adventurous. If you are not in this category, you NEED one. And a walking stick, which you can rent for P10 at the Saddle. It will be the best P10 you will spend in your life. It will even begin to look like your best friend, especially in the walk back UP Saddle Point. That is, if your best friend allows you to lean all of your weight on him or her while walking uphill, sometimes at a slope of 45 degrees.

Abner Ulat, who works at Nature's Mist,
also served as our tour guide. Contact him
at 09268645814 or Abnerulat@yahoo.com

We were fortunate to have Abner Ulat, who works at Nature’s Mist, as our tour guide. We were already comfortable with him, and he was very entertaining and informative. He also tried to pace us, and constantly checked if he could push us to go further or advise us to stop and rest.

When we were there in March 2015, construction of the Dalican-Batad road leading to the Batad and Banaue Rice Terraces was ongoing, and some vehicles were even able to go farther than the Saddle, just before the concrete road narrowed into a mountain trail. The ride from Banaue to the Saddle takes about an hour and then it’s a three-kilometer walk, mainly downhill, to the Batad Information Center, where one can already enjoy the awesome view and have lunch.

I am told that Batad residents do that three-kilometer walk for 30 mins. I think we did it a little bit over an hour. Or maybe I imagined it.

But when you see the Batad Rice Terraces, you just get so thrilled, happy and thankful that you did the walk. Never mind if your 51-year-old husband was muttering half the time about how hard it would be to do the same walk later in the day. After paying the P50/person heritage fee, we went to the Batad Pension House and ordered lunch. Since lunch would take some time, Abner suggested that we walk to Patte, which is considered the

highest rice terrace in Batad. I think it took us one hour to negotiate up and down irregularly-carved steps, rough foot paths and at certain points, balance gingerly on the concrete canal system itself without looking at the mountainside falling away at the side.

You bet we took pictures. Lots of them. You have to, given every ounce of energy it took to get to that wonderful, wonderful view. No picture can quite capture the beauty of the Batad Rice Terraces. Or the wonder they evoke. Or the admiration for all the simple folk, who will never ride an MRT or watch a movie inside an air-conditioned mall, but who have and continue to accomplish the seemingly impossible in living off the land and displaying a strength of will that is matched only by the terraces that have withstood the elements of time and nature, and the progress of men.

We finally turned back, and I nearly fainted on the way. No kidding. It is hot in the Philippines in March and all that walking and gasping in air took its toll when I bent at the spring to drink its cold, cold delicious water. When I straightened up, I felt very disoriented. There was a faint ringing in my ears and everywhere I looked seemed like an over-exposed photo. It took several minutes for my head to clear and the world to right itself.

At Batad Pension House, one can have lunch
with this amazing view.

Lunch was not amazing, but it was adequate. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to respect the people, their practices and their culture, especially in out-of-the-way places like Batad. Listen and feel your way through. There is no use pointing out that the meat is tough or the dish is too salty, even if you are paying for it. Adjust. You are not in a Michelin-starred restaurant. You are in an upland, remote barangay where the residents are just too willing to help you especially if you are nice. They will try to understand your anxieties and your being obsessive-compulsive, but it is not relevant in a place where they take each day as it comes and where food is hard to come by.

Next: Sagada, here we come