BAGUIO CITY—The Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), has identified three provinces in the Cordillera Region to be part of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) under the Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change (APA) program.

The initiative aims to develop Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) services and information using low-emission technologies, with Apayao, Ifugao, and Kalinga among the selected areas. The program, which covers Regions II, V, X, XII, and the Cordillera, will benefit at least 1.25 million impoverished farming households, with over 5 million people expected to benefit indirectly.

Danilo Daguio, Regional Technical Director for Operations, announced that APA offices would be installed across the affected regions, with project implementation scheduled to begin in January 2025 and run until 2030.

“APA is a special program which is in addition to the Philippine Rural Development Program or PRDP aside from several locally funded projects of DA-CAR including our banner programs and other programs being implemented in the region. This special project will require the cooperation of everyone involved specially the support services of the regional office,” Daguio said.

The seven-year APA project is funded by a $26.3 million grant from the GCF, with an additional $12.9 million from the DA and PAGASA, showcasing a joint effort between national and international bodies to enhance climate resilience in Philippine agriculture.

Stakeholders from various sectors recently attended a workshop in the Cordillera to discuss the project’s objectives, strategies, and expected outcomes. The event highlighted the importance of providing climate information services, promoting climate-resilient agriculture technologies, and developing CRA enterprises to help Filipino farmers cope with the challenges posed by climate change.