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The Cordillera Mountain Range, north of Manila on the island of Luzon, was relatively untouched by Spanish and American colonization. Thus it is one of the more interesting regions in the Philippines today. The provinces of Ifugao and Mountain Province straddle the southern portion of the Cordilleras. The people of this area are sometimes referred to as "Igorot" - a blanket term which includes the Apayao, Bontoc, Ibaloi, Ifugao, Kalinga, Kankana-ey and Tingguian peoples.
Unfortunately, much of the region's culture and traditions that survived 350 years of colonization is disappearing today as the people come under the influence of Catholic missionaries and other outside forces.
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Banaue is most known for its terraced rice fields which were built and maintained over the past 2000 years by the Ifugao people. Here, at a scenic overlook of the rice terraces, four Ifugao women pose in native dress.
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Off the tourist track, the local Ifugao people have discarded their native dress in favor of t-shirts but still maintain a lifestyle similar to that of their ancestors.
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