The country of the Ifugao in the southern part of the Cordillera region is best known for its famous rice terraces, which in modern times have become one of the big tourist attractions of the Philippines. They made these terraces with the use of only their hands and simple tools. The Ifugaos typically build their houses at the edge of their fields. A distinctive aspect of these houses is the post just below the floor beams to keep rats from climbing into the house.
Aside from their rice terraces, the Ifugaos are known for their literary traditions of the 'hudhud' and the 'alim.' The term "Ifugao" is derived from "ipugo" which means earth people or mortals or humans, as distinguished from spirits and deities. It also means "from the hill," as "pugo" means hill. The Ifugaos' highest prestige feasts are the "hagabi," for the most wealthy; and the "uyauy," a feast for those immediately below the wealthiest.
The term "Ifugao" refers to the people, their dialect, and the province where they live, in the mountainous northern part of the Philippines. They are known as an independent, agricultural society. They speak various Ifugao dialects, such as Tuwali and Ayangan.
The people prefer to be called Ifugaos ("people of the earth"), as opposed to the more generic and less accurate term "Igorot" that includes all the peoples of the Cordillera Region, which specifically refers to some of the inhabitants of Benguet
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