Our Ifugao community Hut is located near Kiangan in Ifugao province in North Luzon. We have developed this accommodation in cooperation with the the local community and the German tour operator Reisen mit Sinnen. The German government supported the project. The hut is called Balen di Hagabi.
The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and Banaue Rice Terraces are the main tourist attractions in Ifugao province. The Nagacadan rice terrace clusters of Kiangan (Nagacadan) are part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Ifugao Rice Terraces. These are believed to have been hand-carved into the mountains 2,000 years ago to plant rice.
Kiangan rice terraces
Ifugao Culture
Culture of the Ifugao people values kinship, family ties, religious and cultural beliefs. They’re unique among all ethnic groups in North Luzon for their interesting customs and traditions. The Spanish never were able to take control of the Ifugao territory. The Ifugao are also known for their narrative literature such as the Hudhud. The Hudhud consists of narrative chants. It is practised during the rice sowing season, at harvest time and at funeral wakes and rituals. The Hudhud is a UNESCO Proclaimed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Woodcarving, Architecture and Textiles of the Ifugao People
The woodcarving art of the Ifugao people is unique. Most notably are the carved granary guardians bulul and the prestige bench of the upper class, the hagabi. The textiles of the Ifugao are renowned for their sheer beauty, colorful blankets and clothing woven on looms.
Ifugao huts are well-constructed and characterized by as a square with wooden floors, windowless walls, and pyramidal thatch roofs. Elevated from the ground by four sturdy tree trunks, they feature removable staircases that were hoisted up at night to prevent entry by enemies and/or wild animals. We constructed such a hut for you to stay.
Lastly, their attire remain traditional for male Ifugaos, donning the wanno or g-string. There are six types of wanno which are used depending on the occasion or the man’s social status. Ifugao women, on the contrary, wear tapis, a wraparound skirt. There are five kinds of skirts worn, depending on the occasion and/or status of the woman.
Ifugao textiles
Tours to the Ifugao Ancestral Domain
We offer several tours to the Ifugao Ancestral Domain during which you can stay in the Kiangan Community Hut.