SOMETHING unusual happened in Barangay Mapili, San Enrique , Iloilo, according to its residents. The poor farming barangay experienced a destructive flood on Oct. 17 when it rained torrentially. Newly planted rice seedlings were swept away and so were two carabaos but one managed to survive. This was the first time such kind of inundation hit them, villagers said.
What happened to Barangay Mapili raised concerns over the risks posed by climate change, which has been causing extreme weather events, in the growth of the agriculture sector in general, and in addressing poverty. Yes, climate change impacts will likely further erode food security, make poverty reduction more difficult, and prolong existing and create new poverty traps.
We have lost count of the times we have warned about the ill-effects of disasters and climate change to the country’s rice and crop production because both strong typhoons and droughts affect the agriculture sector. Past experiences have proven this fact. Typhoons, floods and droughts from 1970 to 1990 resulted in an 82.4 percent loss in total Philippine rice production; while the El Niño-related drought experienced in the country from 1990 to 2003 was estimated to have caused $370 million in damages to agriculture.
But we remain hopeful that the government will be more proactive with its disaster resilience and climate change adaptation programs, and recognize that the war against poverty will be much harder if disaster vulnerability remains unaddressed.
One thing that may be done is to improve public investments in agriculture, such as irrigation, and pouring more funds in research and development, in water governance and land use policies, in better forecasting tools and early warning systems, in a strengthened extension system that will assist farmers to achieve economic diversification, and yes, even in credit and crop insurance. All these could make significant improvements in the country’s food security goals.
Disasters are greatly felt by the poor, especially in rural and farming areas, because the effects are magnified in their life. For many Filipinos, every single day of work is synonymous to survival. When impassable roads due to heavy downpour prevent a daily wage earner from going to work, it would mean no earnings for the day, no food on the table.
