Kiangan’s Open Air Museum is second Best Tourism Village in Cordillera

Ifugao, Philippines – The Open Air Museum Village of Kiangan, Ifugao climbed from being a runner-up in the second edition of the Search for Best Cordillera Tourism Village to second place this year, narrowly missing the top spot.

In 2023, the town’s tourism village, specifically the Nagacadan Open Air Museum, ended its campaign in the search as among the three runners-up with P100,000 prize.

The people of Nagacadan, with the support of the local government unit of Kiangan, used their prize to supercharge their tourism development. This year, they emerged with renewed vigor, getting the top spot.

What is special about Nagacadan Open Air Museum?

Nagacadan is where the historic Nagacadan Rice Terraces are found. The staircase rice paddies were declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. It is among the sites that “represent an enduring illustration of an ancient civilization that surpassed various challenges and setbacks posed by modernization.”

In 2014, the site, covering Bilong-Pau-Bayninan-Onnop-Wingoyon loop, was opened as Open Air Museum. The village was transformed into a museum, not one sealed in glass, but a living one where rice terraces, ancient ritual sites, traditional houses, and community traditions continue to narrate centuries-old stories.

The museum offers tourists the chance to take part in planting and harvesting of Tinawon rice variety, guided by locals who share their local practices, music, chants, and culture in a non-intrusive way.

The locals amplified their stories by joining the search for Best Cordillera Tourism Village for the second time, competing with 20 other applicants from across the region this year.

On September 16, the judges from the Department of Tourism – Cordillera got to experience Nagacadan’s culture and the rice terrace treks, while hearkening to their stories of heritage.

As the search concluded during the awarding ceremony over the weekend, Nagacadan Open Air Museum, representing the municipality of Kiangan, earned P500,000 as second placer.

It came so close to winning the Best Tourism Village 2025, a title clinched by Balbalasang Eco Village of Balbalan, Kalinga.

In a statement, Kiangan LGU expressed gratitude to Nagacadan community headed by Punong Barangay Paul Belingon for their ‘dedication and efforts in showcasing the rich culture, heritage, and hospitality of the town.’