In an effort to further promote the use of climate information services (CIS) for agriculture, the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) Program Regional Field Office (RFO) VI and the Rice Watch Action Network Inc (RWAN) jointly organized a CIS conference for local government units (LGUs) and other partners on December 18, 2023, in Iloilo City.

The conference, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) PAG-ASA and with support from the DA Climate Resilient Agriculture Office (CRAO), carried the theme “Climate Information Service Towards Resilient Agriculture and Safe Communities.”

The event featured three sessions, comprising presentations, panel discussions, and an open forum, aimed at enhancing the understanding and appreciation of CIS by LGUs and other relevant partners.
The first session delved into the ground experiences related to the localization of CIS and its impacts on farming and fishing communities, while the second explored the diverse strategies for scaling up the use of climate information, including drought warning and prediction, and addressing the specific climate needs of women in agriculture.

The last session discussed financing anticipatory and adaptation actions in agriculture, focusing on the potential sources of financing for CIS activities and other disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation initiatives. During the session, CRAO presented the AMIA Program, highlighting its efforts under the institutionalization of CIS as a basic function for all DA Regional Field Offices (RFO), and shared the Adapting Philippine Agriculture (APA) to Climate Change, the first project for the agriculture sector that is approved by the Green Climate Fund for a grant worth USD 26.3 million.

A significant highlight of the conference was the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DA RFO VI and its Western Visayas LGU partners that implement AMIA Villages, ensuring the sustainability of CIS operations and continued support for the implementation of AMIA villages.

In his message during the event, DA RFO VI Regional Executive Director Dennis Arpia expressed gratitude to AMIA and R1 for organizing the conference. He underscored the importance of mainstreaming climate change, including CIS, in the implementation of different programs and services of the DA.

“Hindi na po pinagtatalunan kung totoo ang climate change dahil ang nakakaramdam nito ay ang ating mga farmers at fisherfolk. Yung araw-araw na experience nila ay sapat na pangmulat ng mata na tayo ay may climate change na kinakaharap. Kaya dapat, naka-factor ang climate change sa pagpa-plano ng gobyerno—simula sa pinakamababang antas hanggang sa amin sa national,” he explained.

For her part, DA CRAO Director Alicia G. Ilaga, in a video message, emphasized the power of climate information for climate resilient agriculture planning and decision-making.

“We always emphasize in the AMIA Program that climate information is the first step towards climate adaptation. Climate information is power. It gives the power to everyone for decision-making and planning for adaptation and resilience,” she said.

Director Ilaga extended her appreciation and gratitude to DA RFO VI Regional Executive Director Arpia, RWAN Executive Director Hazel Tanchuling, DA RFO VI AMIA Program Focal Person Ms. Carmelita Fantilanan, and other partners who made the event possible. She also thanked the AMIA-partner LGUs who participated in the event and who expressed their commitment, through the MOU signing, to the sustained generation and provision of much-needed localized climate information.

“May the connections we made and the knowledge we exchanged here today inspire our continued collective efforts toward our goal–a future where our farming communities thrive, armed with the critical knowledge and valuable tools to adapt and prosper in the changing climate,” Director Ilaga concluded.

The event saw participation from a total of 47 municipal/city LGUs, four provincial governments, as well as representatives from the Office of the Civil Defense Region VI, UP Visayas, other DA personnel, and several civil society organizations.### (Story by Joy Calvar-Adarayan)