TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE — The Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office 8 has launched a proactive, data-informed climate preparedness plan across Eastern Visayas, deploying a PHP 117 million budget aimed at bolstering farm resilience and protecting agricultural yields ahead of projected dry spells.
Proactive Resource Prepositioning Enhances Local Agricultural Readiness
Rather than reacting to dry conditions, the DA regional office is deploying strategic resources to support over 30,000 hectares of vulnerable rice farmland across Leyte, Biliran, and Samar islands:
Targeted Support Inputs: Agricultural authorities have begun prepositioning drought-tolerant seed varieties, high-grade fertilizers, and irrigation equipment to ensure immediate field availability for regional farmers.
Irrigation Infrastructure Boost: The agency has allocated funds to procure mobile water pumps, directly supporting rain-fed rice paddies in high-priority municipal clusters like Dolores, Eastern Samar, which accounts for 4,000 hectares of major rice production.
Income Stabilization Frameworks: To cushion local farming communities, existing agricultural safety nets—including expanded crop insurance, credit access programs, and market facilitation—are being reinforced.
Maximizing Production Across Resilient Farmlands to Meet Yield Goals
DA Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director Rodel Macapañas emphasized that a key pillar of the strategy involves leveraging highly resilient production zones:
Optimizing Unaffected Farmlands: The region is shifting focus to maximize production capacity in less vulnerable agricultural areas, working toward maintaining Eastern Visayas' target rice output of 800,000 metric tons.
Long-Term Readiness Window: By executing proactive mitigation measures from late 2026 through early 2027, regional agricultural leaders are insulating local food supplies while building long-term climate adaptation skills among local farming associations.
