The Philippines has secured a $26.3 million grant for its climate change initiative from the United Nation’s Green Climate Fund (GCF).
The grant was specifically meant for the “Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change (APA) project, designed to boost the resilience of rural agriculture men and women in climate vulnerable areas and transform the country’s agriculture sector towards climate resilience.
The APA project was a submission by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the Department of Agriculture – Philippines and the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration as executing agencies.
“We welcome the decision of the GCF Board to approve the APA Project, which will be instrumental in building the capacity of our farming communities, as well as of the government and private sector, to understand and manage climate risks and adopt climate resilient agriculture practices,” said Climate Change Commission PH vice chairman and executive director Robert E.A. Borje.
Domestic resources amounting to $12.98 million will be used to co-finance the project, putting the total project value at $39.3 million. The project will cater to at least nine (9) provinces in regions II, V, X, and XII, and the Cordillera Autonomous Region.
The project will have three main outcomes:
Outcome 1: Increased institutional capacities for the development and provision of climate information and CRA services
Outcome 2: Farmers (female/male) adopt CRA through CRA enterprises
Outcome 3: Enabling Environment for mainstreaming and scaling up CRA
At least 1.25 million poor farming household members (half of whom are women) are expected to directly benefit as farmers improve awareness of risks and risk reduction measures and incorporate climate-resilient and low emission technologies into agricultural practices. Over five million people living in the area will also benefit indirectly from enhanced information systems and strengthened institutional capacity that will create an enabling environment to promote the widespread adoption of CRA.
“High impact, climate-resilient agriculture initiatives such as the APA, have potential to significantly contribute in the country’s socio-economic development, while enhancing adaptive capacities of our agricultural systems to climate change,” VCED Borje said.
APA will be implemented this year until 2030 and is expected to reduce 1.86 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) over 20 years as a result of application of CRA practices and better land use.
“We look forward to the implementation of the APA Project, which will certainly benefit Filipino farming communities living in vulnerable areas in the country. This is one critical project that can further enable our agriculture sector’s transformation towards sustainability and resilience,” added CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera, who was former GCF Board Member.
The project was approved by the GCF board during its 35th Meeting in Songdo, Korea from 13 March 2023 and scheduled to end today, 16 March 2023.
The Philippines is currently part of the GCF board, represented by the Department of Finance.
“We thank the DOF for pushing our national and global climate agenda forward through its representation and work in the GCF board,” Borje said.
The GCF is described as a “unique global platform to respond to climate change by investing in low-emission and climate-resilient development.”
The GCF was established by 194 governments to limit or reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in developing countries, and to help vulnerable societies adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Given the urgency and seriousness of this challenge.