 Introduction Rice, as an important staple for nearly half of the world’s population, is grown worldwide and mostly produced and consumed in Asia. As one of the few Asian countries with large areas having mountainous terrain, upland rice production is an important component of the agricultural economy of the Philippines. Lake Sebu is a remote upland community in South Cotabato known for the indigenous T’bolis who engage in traditional rice farming. This study was undertaken to identify traditional upland rice cultivars and the farming and conservation practices associated with them. The study site The study was conducted in eight barangays (Lamfugon, Luhib, Lam-alo, Klubi, Lamlahak, Bakdulong, Tasiman, and Poblacion) of Farming and seed conservation practices of rice farmers in the marginal uplands of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Philippines Florence Lasalita-Zapico, Tres Tinna Martin, Ruby Jane Pena, & JoyLyn Gonzales Science Department, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Mindanao State University, Fatima, General Santos City Email: lorence_zapico@yahoo.com Abstract This study was undertaken to make an inventory of the upland rice resource base of Lake Sebu, to document traditional farming and seed conservation practices of the T’bolis and to detect the occurrence of genetic erosion in the farmer’s ields. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques were the methods used in the study. Results revealed a very high level of genetic diversity (136 landraces) of traditional upland rice cultivars in the area. Seed movement was also unrestricted in the area for most of the sitios. The system of cultivation in the area, however, is done at the subsistence level and is purposely geared towards domestic consumption. No effort is also exerted with respect to the conservation of the rice resource and it is made possible through continued utilization. For the T’bolis in Lake Sebu, the availability of planting materials does not warrant conservation. Genetic erosion therefore occurs in farmers’ ields and traditional varieties are lost on a continuous basis. Unless mitigating measures are done to save the upland ecosystem, these valuable genetic resources will be irreversibly lost. Key words: IP (indigenous peoples), IK (indigenous knowledge) participatory rural appraisal, rice farming, traditional rices, upland rices Lake Sebu. It is located at 6 o 10’N latitude and 124 o 44’E longitude. Lake Sebu is estimated to be 700 meters above sea level and has a land area of 89, 138 hectares. The community is predominantly inhabited by the T’bolis, although other tribes such as Ubos, Muslims, and Ilonggos are also present. The climate of the place belongs to the fourth type where rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year. The dry season usually falls during the month of March to April. Occasional rain showers occur during afternoon between the months of February and May. The terrain of Lake Sebu is predominantly rugged as evidenced by the presence of Daguma and Talihik mountain ranges along the eastern portion of the municipality, Mt. Busa in the southeast and Mt. Talili in the eastern portion. USM R & D J 16(1): 7-11 (2008) ISSN 0302-7937