LOS ANGELES, Butuan City – The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and CODESPA Foundation Philippines (CODESPA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation of the project entitled “Advancing Climate and Disaster Resilience Transformation Project” or ProACT.

ProACT is a 4-year consortium project which aimed to foster Climate Change Adaptation, promotion of food security and income generation with value chain approach for 3,650 families affected by natural disasters. The project will cover three provinces namely Agusan del Sur with special consideration to the residents of the municipalities of Esperanza, La Paz, San Luis and Talacogon; Surigao del Sur particularly in the municipalities of Carmen, Cortes, Lanuza and Lianga; and, Compostela Valley in the municipalities of Maco, Mabini, Nabunturan, and, Pantukan.

The project implementers are CODESPA Foundation Philippines, an international non-profit organization that helps provide opportunities that alleviates poverty, and Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian and development organization that is committed to end world hunger.

The roles and responsibilities of the implementers were presented during the coordination meeting held at the ATI-Regional Training Center 13 last August 6, 2019. Per MOU, ATI’s role is central on capability building of the identified stakeholders. As such, ATI will facilitate the development of learning modules as well as provide technical assistance and resource persons for the conduct of a 10-day Training of Trainers (TOT) on Climate Smart Agriculture which is scheduled on September 9-18, 2019. It will be participated by Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) from the target provinces and ProACT staff who will then be responsible in the establishment of at least three Climate Smart Farm Business School (CSFBS) under the Livelihood Resilient component.

Engr. Matt Andrew Baquiano, Agriculturist II led the team in drafting the TOT modules and curriculum patterned from the approaches and best practices of ATI’s Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) project which the consortium deemed applicable and appropriate to the target stakeholders of ProACT. The course content will include among others Transformational Leadership, Climate Change and Agriculture, Soil and Water Conservation and Management, Climate-Smart Crop Production System, Financial Literacy and Extension Delivery System.

The TOT on Climate Smart Agriculture will lead off CODESPA and ATI’s partnership within the next four years of ProACT implementation.