TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite- Climate change’s impact on the Philippines is most often associated with extreme weather disturbances such as typhoons and floods, which in turn affect many other sectors of the economy. With 50.3% of its total area and 81.3% of the population vulnerable to natural disasters, the Philippines is considered a natural disaster hotspot as reported by Asian Development Bank (ADB) study. Hence, there is a critical and urgent need to develop climate-smart technologies available and accessible to the farmers through the creation of an enabling institutional environment.

According to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), agriculture industry in the country contributed in providing around 30 percent of employment and 10 percent of the country’s total gross domestic product in 2013. Thus, the occurrence of natural disasters significantly affect crops and livestock which resulted in severe loss in agricultural production including human lives.

To equip and capacitate the farmers of Region IV-A on adaptation and mitigation of climate change, the Agricultural Training Institute Region IV-A in collaboration with Costales Nature Farms Inc. spearheaded the Capacity Enhance on Climate Change Resiliency on Agriculture and Fisheries for the Farmers in Region IV-A. ATI IV-A under the Techno Gabay Program (TGP) tapped Magsasaka Siyentista (MS), farmer cooperators of Learning Sites (LS), and selected high value crops farmers in Quezon to participate in the said training.

Farmers attended a one-day lecture on Climate Smart Agriculture Practices on Crops and livestock, Philippines: A Disaster-Prone Country, Climate Change, and some Basic Life Support for disaster response. Also part of the training course was a three-day capacity enhancement on climate smart agriculture practices in Bicol Region. The participants were able to learn various farming technologies to five (5) Climate Smart demonstration farms and partners, namely: Bicol Strawberry Farm; Hagahag Farm; Sonrisa Farm; LRV Agriscience Farm; La Huerta Farm; and DOST-PAGASA Region V.

The training was participated by thirty (30) farmers in Region IV-A last December 4-7, 2017 at St. Jude Coop Hotel and Events Center, Tayabas City and Region V.