Kapayawan Rice Terraces

Kapayawan Rice Terraces are traditional agricultural terraces located in Barangay Sadsadan, Bauko, Mountain Province, in the northern Philippines. Built and maintained by the Kankanaey people, the terraces form layered fields carved into mountain slopes and remain actively cultivated with rice. The site is notable for its scenic landscape, cultural heritage value, and representation of indigenous engineering and sustainable farming practices passed through generations in the Cordillera region.

Visitors can expect layered rice fields carved into steep mountain slopes in a rural highland setting surrounded by pine-covered hills and villages. The terraces are actively farmed and views change with the planting cycle from flooded mirrors to green shoots and golden harvest. Access is via footpaths and viewing points along the hillside. The area is quiet and agricultural, with opportunities to observe traditional farming methods and local village life.

The terraces are part of the Cordillera rice terrace tradition developed by indigenous groups including the Kankanaey of Bauko. Constructed over generations using stone walls and manual labor, they reflect centuries-old knowledge of mountain irrigation and land management and continue to be maintained as living agricultural heritage.

The terraces hold cultural significance for the Kankanaey community as a source of livelihood, food security, and identity. They embody communal labor practices, traditional rice cultivation cycles, and rituals tied to the agricultural calendar, and are valued as a cultural landscape within Mountain Province.