article

Agricultural and forest policies of the American colonial regime in Ifugao Territory, Luzon, Philippines, 1901-1945

Philippine quarterly of culture and society • 23 (1) • Published In 1995 • Pages: 3-19

By: Klock, John S..

Abstract

This article discusses the influence of American colonial rule on Ifugao natural environment and cultural landscape. The American policy in the Ifugao region was not focused on exploiting mineral or timber reserves, but on pacifying the region and developing an infrastructure of schools, roads, and outposts. The Americans recognized and respected Ifugao traditional forestry management practices, although their indiscriminate cutting down of trees around their outposts violated Ifugao ownership rights and lead the Ifugao to follow suit, undermining their customary practice. Klock also discusses the plants, including coffee, which Spaniards, Chinese, Japanese, and Americans introduced to the Luzon highlands. American-initiated land tenure acts together with a growing market in coffee undermined the customary land tenure system based on genealogies. The Americans also resettled some Ifugao onto the lowlands to relieve population pressure in the highlands.

HRAF PubDate

1998

Region

Asia

Sub Region

Southeast Asia

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Unknown

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 1998

Field Date

no date

Coverage Date

1901-1945

Coverage Place

Ifugao Province, Philippines

Notes

John S. Klock

Includes bibliographical references (p. 17-19)

LCCN

74640433

LCSH

Ifugao (Philippine people)