Representatives of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Of Mountain Province and Technical personnel of the Department of Agriculture Cordillera (DA-CAR) led by Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Dr. Arlene Sagayo threshed out technical details that are needed in the proposed establishment of the Climate Field School for Mountain Province through the People’s Survival Fund (PSF) Board amounting to PhP271.15 million.
In a meeting at the DA-CAR Regional Field Office, Mountain Province Assistant PDRRMO Niel Culallad presented the initial plans of the province for the proposed climate field school, aside from gathering technical suggestions from DA-CAR suitable for the said learning facility.
“Aside from being a learning facility for our students and a production facility for our farmers, we are gathering technical recommendations from the DA on what other functions the facility may be used for, for it to be sustainable,” Culallad said.
The People’s Survival Fund (PSF) was established under Republic Act No. 10174 to finance adaptation programs and projects of local government units (LGUs) and accredited local and community organizations.
The People’s Survival Fund (PSF) Board, under the leadership of the Finance Secretary as chairman, approved P539 million worth of new climate adaptation projects.
The newly approved projects will be implemented in the climate-vulnerable areas of Mountain Province, the city of Borongan, and the municipalities of Maramag, Cabagan, and Catanauan.
These projects include a Climate Field School for farmers in Mountain Province worth PhP271.15 million; the installation of drainage and early warning systems and the development of the agroforestry industry in Maramag, Bukidnon worth PhP126.40 million; an irrigation project in Cabagan, Isabela involving the construction of 3 solar powered irrigation systems worth PhP21.28 million; a Mangrove rehabilitation project in Catanauan, Quezon worth PhP2.63 million; installation of embankment infrastructure and reforestation for enhanced flood control of Lo-om River in Borongan City, Eastern Samar worth P118 million.
In deciding which projects to approve, the PSF Board considers the level of risk and vulnerability to climate change, participation of affected communities in the design of the project, poverty reduction potential, cost-effectiveness and attainability of the proposal, identification of potential co-benefits extending beyond LGU territory, maximization of multi-sectoral or cross-sectoral benefits, responsiveness to gender-differentiated vulnerabilities, and availability of climate change adaptation action plan.
Sagayo, through consultation with the technical experts from DA, identified the creation of a Bio Control Agent and Tissue Culture Facility as the primary area where the Climate Field School will focus, aside from relevant pieces of training and skills to capacitate farmers and students of agriculture.
The members of the PDRRMO visited the Bureau of Plant Industry in Baguio and the Baguio Animal Breeding and Research Center to have a visual reference of the proposed Bio Control Agents and Tissue Culture Integrated Laboratory Facility to be established in Mountain Province. By JTLlanes
