ABSTRACT
The Ifugao people in the Philippines created a magnificent cultural landscape of paddy fields that has attracted a large number of tourists who search for extraordinary and ‘authentic’ tourism experiences. However, it has been difficult to preserve the authentic culture and landscape despite efforts by the local and national governments. One of the key questions that needs to be asked is why it is so challenging to protect it. In this chapter, Ifugao’s cultural landscape change is discussed in relation to its underlying causes, that is, macro social processes of modernity and globalisation. Tourism brings cash into the local economy, which, in turn, changes residents’ lifestyles and landscape. However, it is not the only factor that plays into the process of socio-cultural transformation. Before the arrival of tourism, processes of modernity transformed people’s way of life, especially through education. Tourism, then, provided an expanded opportunity to earn money. Therefore, the formation of the Ifugao landscape and culture is not a linear process; rather, it is a product of multiple social processes started at different time periods.
