The rice terraces once stretched north-east to Cagayan and as far south as Quezon . However they are now slowly being abandoned and showing signs of deterioration . The 1990 Luzon earthquake damaged some of the terraces ' irrigation systems , while El Niño triggered droughts that led giant earthworms to erode the terraces ' soil . Furthermore , the rice variety most suited to the area 's cool climate is not a high-yielding crop ; because it takes so long to mature , some Ifugao families have abandoned their land in the rice terraces in favour of land that reaps faster rewards
1990 Luzon earthquake
1990 Luzon earthquake
Banaue