Stakeholders called for stronger coordination, preventive planning, and climate-resilient interventions in the agriculture sector during the recent second quarter meeting of the National Sectoral Committee on Climate Change, Environment, and Natural Resources (CCCENR) on May 7, 2026, where discussions focused on improving disaster preparedness, water management, and support systems for farmers and fisherfolk.
Among the key concerns raised during the meeting was the need to strengthen the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) System by shifting from a largely response-oriented approach toward prevention and long-term resilience planning. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of equipping local government units, Municipal Agriculture Offices (MAOs), and local DRRM teams with stronger capacities to integrate climate information into agricultural development planning.
Participants also underscored the need to establish measurable indicators to assess whether current DRRM programs are effectively improving the resilience of farmers, fisherfolk, and agri-fisheries ecosystems. During the discussions, concerns were raised on the need for improved sensitivity analysis, stronger use of hazard projections, and ecosystem-based approaches to disaster preparedness and response planning.
DA-Field Programs Operational Planning Division OIC Chief Perla Gines explained that several climate adaptation initiatives are already being implemented, including the Philippine Agriculture Adapting to Climate Change Project and the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture villages, which aim to cascade climate information to local communities. Capacity-building activities and disaster reporting systems are likewise being strengthened in coordination with the DA-Regional Field Offices and extension workers.
Discussions also highlighted funding and implementation challenges affecting climate-related programs. Stakeholders noted the need to harmonize and improve access to climate and disaster risk financing mechanisms, including projects supported by the Green Climate Fund and the People’s Survival Fund. Concerns were raised regarding delays in funding releases and fragmented implementation of climate-related initiatives across agencies.
Water resource management and irrigation planning also emerged as major discussion points during the meeting. Stakeholders called for stronger coordination between the Bureau of Soils and Water Management and the National Irrigation Administration, particularly to harmonize the irrigation projects with broader river-system-based water resource management frameworks. Participants emphasized that water planning should also consider watershed protection, upland conservation, and sustainable supply for domestic and agricultural use.
The Committee likewise discussed strategies to reduce fuel dependency in agriculture through the expansion of Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems. Stakeholders proposed complementary interventions, such as small water impounding systems, mobile irrigation units, and solar-powered technologies that could support crop production, fisheries, and other agricultural subsectors. Regional sectoral representatives also shared ongoing preparations for climate-related risks, including cloud seeding initiatives and the expansion of catch basins and water impounding systems for farmers vulnerable to dry conditions.
Other matters discussed during the meeting included solid waste-to-organic fertilizer initiatives, monitoring and regulation of offshore mining and seabed quarrying activities, and the protection of agricultural lands under the Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development and Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones. | Joy Camille Luza
