The document discusses how the Ifugao people of the Philippines have adapted their farming practices and livelihoods to cope with climate change impacts like floods, droughts, and forest fires. It notes that their traditional beliefs, as expressed through songs, dances, poems, and rituals, have guided their adaptations. For example, the Ifugao see gods and spirits as influencing the natural environment, and they rely on traits like courage, artistry, and community to manage their environment and plan for survival. The document recommends that beneficial Ifugao beliefs and practices be preserved, ecological wisdom be more widely adopted, and that projects support indigenous knowledge and reduce overly-conservative beliefs.

1. THE INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL
LITERARY ARTS AND BELIEFS OF
UPLAND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
IN THE PHILIPPINES TO THEIR
ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Prof. Maria Rebecca Campos, PhD
University of the Philippines
Open University

2. • Majority of the 12
million indigenous
peoples in the
Philippines reside
in the uplands
where most of the
remaining natural
resources of the
country are
found.

3. • Heavy floods, drought, hazardous forest
fires and soil erosion brought about by
extreme weather conditions as a result
of climate change have affected their
livelihood.

4. Among those affected is the famed
2,000 year old rice terraces of the
Ifugaos, a UNESCO World Heritage.

5. The Ifugaos have adjusted their farming
practices, found ways to overcome the
effects on their water resource and their
health in order to adapt to climate change.

6. What is also interesting is that the
adaptation of the Ifugaos has been guided
by their traditional literary arts and
beliefs, as depicted in their songs, dances,
poems, epics, and rituals.
Bulol, Ifugao
rice god

7. Findings
• The influence of gods, spirits and ancestors in the forms of
either human, animals or plants in the natural
environment; and being very superstitious, resourceful,
self-reliant, courageous, skilled, artistic in temperament,
hardworking, respectful, humble, simple, conservative,
kind, graceful in stature, heavily ornamented, generous,
carefree/cheerful, romantic, and kinship oriented were
the traditional beliefs, traits and values of the Ifugaos.

8. • The adaptive management practices of the
Ifugaos in response to environmental conditions
are planning for their subsistence or survival;
organization in their culture (beliefs, traits and
values); direction and leadership according to
their orientations and practices; and control
according to their faith and beliefs.

9. • The use of spiritual beliefs, rituals and
ceremonies; ecological wisdom; forest protection;
kinship orientation; sense of tribal awareness and
peace pacts; artistic temperament; and survival
were the approaches and prevailing practices to
environment of the Ifugaos.

10. • The strengths and weaknesses of their
beliefs, traits, values, practices and
subsistence; and the adaptation process of
their adaptive management and community
were the bases of local resilience strategy to
climate change.

11. RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Desirable and useful beliefs, traits, and
values should be sustained for environmental
adaptation and survival. The heritage of the
indigenous peoples in terms of effective and
efficient environmental adaptation should be
preserved and dignified by all sectors of the
society.

12. 2. Ecological wisdom, forest protection and
resourcefulness should be practiced by all.
These practices should be integrated in
environmental awareness with public
dissemination of information and
documentation to be initiated by
environmental agencies and educational
institutions.

13. 3. The Philippine government and non-
governmental organizations should enrich
the strengths of the indigenous peoples in
terms of environmental adaptation; and
initiate projects that will improve the modes
of subsistence and knowledge; and reduce
the beliefs in super natural, heavy
dependence on physical environment,
conservatism and shyness of the indigenous
peoples.