Over 10 million Filipino farmers are on the front lines of extreme climate variability. Thus, their ability to understand, interpret, and act on weather forecasts can spell the difference between a successful harvest and significant financial loss.
Addressing this urgent need is the core goal of the Co-designing and Ideation Workshop on Climate Information Services (CIS) and Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) Modules organized from September 22 to 26, 2025under the Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change (APA) Project.
The workshop’s primary goal was to embed a stronger climate and weather perspective into the existing CRA towards Sustainable Enterprises curriculum of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), the training arm of the Department of Agriculture for agricultural extension workers and farmers across the country.
Building on farmers’ knowledge
The workshop focused on answering a core challenge, as emphasized by ATI Assistant Director Antonieta Arceo:
“We are learning one important issue—localization. How do we make climate and weather advisories more understandable and useful to farmers in their own contexts? The enhancement of the CRA curriculum can build on several opportunities, which include lessons from existing CRA programs, a strong network of agencies implementing CRA, and practices already being applied by farmers and communities,” she said.
As a core part of localization, farmers will be actively tapped to co-create knowledge and information materials, ensuring that the content is relevant, practical, and grounded in their local contexts.
Equipping extension workers and farmers
The enhanced modules will be designed to equip extension workers with region-specific knowledge and climate contexts tailored by priority commodity—whether it’s for rice in Cagayan, corn in Isabela, or coconut in Camarines Sur. This targeted approach allows extension workers to confidently guide farmers on crucial production planning and decision-making.
Ana Solis, the CIS focal of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PAGASA) for the APA Project, highlighted the importance of the modules in bridging science and practice:
“The training modules we are enhancing will not only serve as tools for DOST-PAGASA to deliver CIS more effectively, but also strengthen the bridge between our scientists and our farmers,” she explained.
A broader CIS knowledge is a crucial addition to the current Farmer Field School (FFS) and the Farm Business School (FBS) that ATI currently offer. For the APA Project, the Farm Business School will build on and benefit from the RuralInvest, a toolkit developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for the systematic development of bankable and sustainable business proposals.
Training Rollout
As part of the rollout under the APA Project, 100 Master Trainers will be selected and trained using the improved curriculum in a Trainer of Trainers (ToT) approach. The Master Trainers will serve as multipliers across 100 target municipalities of the project, capacitating 500 Community Development Facilitators and local extension workers to properly utilizeDOST-PAGASA seasonal and weather forecasts and translate them into timely, actionable advice for farmers.
After a series of iterative workshops, the curriculum enhancement will culminate in the creation of a comprehensive CRA Toolkit and Facilitator’s Manual—a ready-to-use guide that extension workers can carry straight to the field.
The APA Project is a joint initiative of the DA, DOST-PAGASA, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with funding support by the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
