Following its pilot on Research Facilities Development Grant and second episode on Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Program in Focus (PIF) series kicks off its 2024 line-up with the Climate Change Research for Development (R4D) program on 12 January 2024 via Google Meet.
Organized by the bureau’s Program Monitoring, Evaluation, and Linkaging Division (PMELD), PIF aims to increase the dissemination of information and results feedback of monitoring and evaluation activities of the bureau.
Amavel Velasco, head of PMELD-Monitoring and Evaluation Section, outlined the history and timeline of the program’s significant milestones; R4D investments; implementing agencies, distribution of projects and funds, status of projects; developed technologies; and communicated results.
Further to this, Velasco shared the program’s best practices, challenges, realizations, and recommendations related to the program implementation, to which various climate change focals and other technical staff reaffirmed.
Program Development Division head Raymond Patrick Cabrera highlighted that the program has an ongoing commitment with the Asian Development Bank, wherein the latter provides technical assistance to the sector in terms of climate change investments. As part of this technical assistance, the bureau will be updating the Climate Change research for development and extension agenda for the next medium term.
Moving forward with the Climate Change R4D, Cabrera underscored the importance of mainstreaming climate change as a program of the agriculture department. Likewise, he acknowledged and furthered that, while it is a challenge for the program to consolidate all previous initiatives on climate change, it is vital that the climate change R&D for the next medium term identify all gaps and areas that need to be addressed to respond to the existing climate risks and hazards.
The Climate Change R4D program traces its roots from Republic Act No. 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009 which prompted all government agencies to integrate various disaster risk reduction measures into climate change adaptation plans, development and poverty reduction programs.