The Philippine government, in collaboration with international partners, has identified key municipalities for the rollout of the Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) interventions under the $39-million “Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change” (APA) Project. Backed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the joint initiative is led by the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Science and Technology’s PAGASA, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
According to a joint statement released Tuesday, the CRA interventions will initially focus on priority areas including Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga, Cagayan, Isabela, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Northern Mindanao, and the Soccsksargen region. These areas were selected based on vulnerability assessments and CRA readiness.
The seven-year project aims to directly support 205,000 farmers in adopting climate-resilient farming practices, while 45,000 are expected to engage in agri-enterprise development. In addition, around five million farmers are projected to benefit indirectly from enhanced climate advisories, with 1.25 million vulnerable farming household members receiving direct assistance.
Led by DA assistant secretary for operations U-Nichols Manalo, the APA Project’s National Technical Working Group has also pushed for validation of priority crops to better scale climate-resilient technologies nationwide.
Through enhanced platforms like DA’s Agro-Climatic Advisory Portal, the APA initiative is expected to improve access to localized climate data, supporting inclusive and adaptive agriculture particularly for women, youth, and indigenous communities.
Once fully implemented, the project is projected to cut national carbon emissions by 218,875 tons of CO₂ annually, contributing 0.033 percent toward the country’s 2030 emissions target under its Nationally Determined Contribution.
