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Scholars have often puzzled over why ancient socio-ecological systems (SES) have collapsed or survived overtime. This paper examines the case of the 2,000-year old Ifugao SES in the northern Philippines and the contemporary challenges they now face. Five observations can be drawn. First, the Ifugao case does not fit some of the conventional theoretical explanations for the collapse or survival of SES. Second, the Ifugao’s primogeniture system of property rights along with the their customary laws and practices have played important roles in maintaining the robustness of their SES through their effects on ecological integrity. Third, the Ifugao SES today is faced with contemporary challenges with varying effects on its robustness: integration into a post-colonial social order, the effects of tourism and agricultural development, migration, urbanization and the introduction of Christianity and mass education. Fourth, despite these changes, it is not a certainty that the Ifugao will shift to a new domain of attraction that cannot support a human population, or that will induce a transition that causes long-term human suffering. Finally, the Ifugao case study adds to our understanding of robust SES.
