The Department of Agriculture – Climate Resilient Agriculture Office (DA-CRAO) recently met with representatives from the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) to discuss potential collaboration aimed at strengthening and sustaining the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) Villages nationwide.
DA-CRAO Director Agnes Miranda, joined by planning officers Wendy Dunasco and Rae Michael Barbosa, welcomed the CARD MRI delegation, which included Corporate Planning representative Evelyn Narvaez and newly appointed Program Director Alexis Garcia. The discussion served as an important venue to align institutional goals, share development frameworks, and address administrative milestones, including the progression of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) currently being facilitated in coordination with the DA Legal Service.
Building Safety Nets for Farming Communities
Currently, the DA’s AMIA program has established 269 AMIA Villages across the country, focusing on transitioning local communities toward climate-resilient agriculture. As these communities mature, establishing financial and social safety nets becomes crucial to maintaining their climate-resilience and livelihood gains.
CARD MRI, founded by Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip, operates with a holistic, mutually reinforcing institutional model that spans microfinance, microinsurance, healthcare, education, and livelihood development. Their approach aligns closely with the goals of the AMIA framework, particularly in supporting farming communities as they transition into Phase 4, which focuses on enterprise development and long-term self-reliance.
During the meeting, the institutions discussed how CARD MRI’s diverse services—including its high-repayment microfinance facilities, tailored agricultural and non-life microinsurance, community-based health services (such as BotiCARD), and business training—can be integrated into existing AMIA Villages.
Empowering Farmers through Collaboration
Rather than relying solely on public interventions, the proposed collaboration seeks to foster community independence by building the capacity of farmers to manage climate risks and business enterprises.
“We want to ensure our farmers have the necessary tools to become self-reliant,” noted Director Miranda. “CARD MRI’s extensive experience in rural development and financial inclusion can offer valuable support to our AMIA Villages as they scale up their enterprises.”
To further explore localized implementation strategies, DA-CRAO has extended an invitation to CARD MRI to participate in the upcoming AMIA Mid-Year Assessment scheduled for this July 2026. This venue will provide an opportunity for CARD MRI to present its programs directly to AMIA regional focal persons and explore concrete, area-specific partnerships.
Through joint efforts between the public sector and social development organizations like CARD MRI, the DA-CRAO hopes to continue building a more resilient, sustainable, and empowered agricultural sector.
(Article and photo by Quennie May D. Camu, Project Development Officer, DA-CRAO)