LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—Twenty-three officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) participated in a four-day training-workshop at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) here to hone their skills in integrating climate change adaptation into agricultural policy and programs.
Some of the participants came from the DA-Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (DA-AMIA), regional field offices (RFOs), and DA-attached offices and corporations.
The training, dubbed “Integrating Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) into Policies, Plans and Programs in Agriculture,” was held from August 4 to 7 at the SEARCA headquarters.
SEARCA Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. said the workshop aimed to enable key DA official to understand climate change impacts and the need for mainstreaming; and identify appropriate approaches for integrating climate change adaptation into development policies and investment plans at the national, sectoral, and project levels. After the workshop, the participants are expected to apply the systematic adaptation assessment in their respective work areas.
Tailored by SEARCA for the DA-AMIA program, the training-workshop is the first of three batches to be held under the “Strengthening Implementation of Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture Project (AMIA Project 1) that is jointly implemented by DA, SEARCA and UPLB Foundation, Inc. (UPLBFI).
The participants were introduced to the systematic method of integrating climate change adaptation into policies, plans, and programs developed and widely tested by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) based on an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Policy Guidance on mainstreaming climate change into development cooperation. SEARCA adopted the four core modules of said systematic approach to integrating climate change adaptation in development planning.
The training is part of SEARCA’s quest to ensure food security through agriculture and fisheries policies, plans, and investments that integrate climate change adaptation.
In welcoming the participants, Dr. Saguiguit said “adaptation and heightening resiliency of the agriculture and fisheries sector to the effects of climate change is our best option against the challenge posed by climate change.”
In her message on behalf of Dr. Alicia Ilaga, Director of the DA Systems-Wide Climate Change Office (SWCCO), Ms. Perla Baltazar said the training-workshop is indeed important in equipping the department with a “climate lens” to effectively achieve the goals of AMIA.
AMIA is one of DA’s seven systems-wide programs on climate change and is the umbrella program for mainstreaming climate change in agriculture across all programs, functions, and agencies of DA.
Participants were trained to apply systematic adaptation assessment to real cases chosen from proposals they submitted. During the training, they integrated climate change adaptation in four development projects: Kaunlaran Resettlement Area (KRA) Agricultural Development Project in Nueva Era, Bunawan and San Gabriel, Veruela in Agusan del Sur; Rice Productivity Enhancement in Eastern Visayas Region; Building Capacities for Climate Resilient Tilapia Farming in the Philippines in Minalin, Pampanga; and Increasing Agricultural Production Through the Use of “No-regrets” Disaster Risk Reduction/Climate Change Adaptation (DRR/CCA) Options Utilizing submergence-tolerant Rice Variety (NSIC RC 194), Water Conservation and Management, Efficient Post-Harvest Facilities, and Promotion of Climate Field Schools (CFS) in Concepcion, Tarlac.
The resource persons for the training-workshop were Dr. Daylinda B. Cabanilla, Professor, and Dr. Canesio Predo, Assistant Professor, both at the UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR); and Dr. Felino P. Lansigan, Dean and Professor at the UPLB College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
The agencies and RFOs represented in the training-workshop were: DA-Office of the Secretary; Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS); Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Central Office; BFAR-Region 7; Agricultural Training Institute (ATI); Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI); RFOs of Regions 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13; Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech); Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF); Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA); Philippine Carabao Center (PCC); Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice); and Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC).
Posted By: Lynne Pingoy
