Reference:  GGGI Project ID: PH24

Country: Philippines

Budget: USD 33,000

Duration: 5 months

Context:

In the Philippines, recognised for its dynamic economy, the agriculture sector still underperforms relative to the services and industry sectors, with its GDP contribution dwindling to about 9%, despite employing a significant portion of the workforce. Poverty remains predominantly rural, with a significant proportion of the poor engaged in agriculture, underscoring the need for inclusive growth strategies that address the unique vulnerabilities and opportunities within this sector.

Underemployment in the agricultural sector remains high, which, despite employing a significant portion of the workforce, offers limited economic opportunities and low wages. Climate change further threatens rural and coastal communities, which are highly vulnerable to its impacts, thereby potentially exacerbating poverty, and inequality.

The province of Oriental Mindoro, identified as the Project site, mirrors these national challenges on a local scale. Despite being dubbed the “Food Basket of the MIMAROPA Region”, the province struggles with low agricultural productivity and high poverty levels among rural workers. The agricultural value chain’s development is seen as a critical avenue for creating better economic opportunities and enhancing livelihoods in the region, especially in Oriental Mindoro. However, challenges such as the lack of institutional processes for managing climate risks, poor development of agri-micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and limited capacity among stakeholders hamper progress.

Moreover, the province has witnessed extensive damage to agriculture caused by natural disasters, valued at approximately US$75.6 million from 2013 to 2017, with an average annual cost of US$15.13 million, highlighting the profound risk to income and livelihoods of approximately 520,000 individuals if no action is taken to enhance climate resilience.

GGGI designed the Project to target three primary challenges impeding the development of rural communities in Oriental Mindoro:

Problem 1: A cycle of low adaptive capacities against short-and long-term risks of climate change among rural communities, agriculture workers, and micro-enterprises in Oriental Mindoro.

Problem 2: Poor development of micro-enterprises in the agricultural sector in Oriental Mindoro, leaving untapped local economic potential behind.

Problem 3: Limited technical capacities of government and non-government stakeholders to design / implement climate-resilient green growth initiatives at scale.

Objective:

·         Enhance development learning – to evaluate efforts to promote sustainable practices in the agriculture sector of the Philippines

·         Strengthen accountability by demonstrating effectiveness.