After being named as the Unesco’s World Heritage site in 2005 albeit most of us thought it was really the eight wonder of the world, the Banaue Terraces are almost falling down. Poor maintenance and dividing lands are some of the factors why it is presently not in its former glory now. To add up for the prolongation of its seemingly inevitable destruction, the Department of Budget and Management has excluded in the 2009 budget the 44 million pesos alloted for its maintenance. According to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, the 44 million (hmmmm) will be used for the purchasing of a 25 hectare part of the rice terraces to be maintained for the tourism village that is being planned to be built on Banaue. So what’s wrong in this picture? instead of rehabilitating the entire rice terraces, a portion of it will be spared from poor maintenance. Now how about the rest? Its obvious that the terraces are divided among children of the ancestors and some are not just interested in returning to farming since they already acquired education and wanted to pursue urban life. Why not just buy the whole darn terraces and declare it as a protected park, area of something with farmers acting as care takers to retain its former glory. This kind of land are priceless and can never ever be restored once destroyed or neglected. It took thousands of years for the Ifugaos to maintain and built the priceless glory of the rice terraces, now its gone. And if the Government will not act now, the Banaue Rice Terraces will just inevitably fall down.