SEARCA conducts Seminar on El Niňo Adaptation in Victoria, Oriental Mindoro under the ISARD Piloting Project

18 December 2015

Victoria farmer participants of the Climate Change Adaptation Seminar together with the staff of the Municipal Agriculture Office headed by Mr. Elmer Cobarrubias, the ISARD Team: Mr. Henry M. Custodio and Ms. Angelic M. Reglos, with Engr. Marisa J. Sobremisana

VICTORIA, ORIENTAL MINDORO, Philippines – In line with the Piloting and Up-scaling Effective Models of Inclusive and Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (ISARD) Project, SEARCA conducted a training-workshop on climate change adaptation and mitigation titled, What to Expect in and How to Cope with the El Niňo Phenomenon in said municipality on 9 December 2015. The event was spearheaded by the Research and Development Department. The training workshop targeted the upland and lowland farmers of Victoria, and leaders of different farmer organizations, associations and cooperatives, who are potential beneficiaries of the Piloting project, were present.

Engr. Marisa J. Sobremisana of the UPLB School of Environmental Science and Management, UPLB, served as technical expert, and Mr. Henry M. Custodio of SEARCA facilitated the event.

The farmers asked questions and consulted the experts about their personal experiences relative to the El Niňo Phenomenon, including some clarifications on the traditional agriculture myths and indigenous knowledge on various weather disturbances vis-à-vis farming and agro-ecological landscape environment. The participants, as well as agricultural technologists of the LGU were enlightened by helpful tips and suggestions provided by the experts. Topics included sustainable, organic and ecological agriculture and drought.

Part of the purpose of the seminar was to suggest coping mechanisms that will help lessen the negative impacts of El Niňo in the livelihood of farmers for the months to come, and this seminar is the initial part of the ISARD Capacity Building Activity on Climate Change Adaptation. (Angelic Reglos and Henry Custodio)

Engr. Marisa J. Sobremisana gives a lecture on Climate Change Adaptation: What to Expect to and How to Cope with the El Niňo Phenomenon to the farmers of the Municipality of Victoria

Mr. Henry M. Custodio, RDD Program Specialist, answers farmers’ questions about El Niňo and suggests some coping mechanisms.