UPLBFI leads scaling out ACAP, joins DA-CRAO in celebrating Climate Change Consciousness Week

In line with the celebration of the 16th Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, UPLBFI, together with the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Climate Resilient Agriculture Office (CRAO) convened regional DA offices for a national training on the development, operation, and management of the Agro-Climatic Advisory Portal (ACAP), a digital tool for Climate Information Services (CIS) pioneered by the foundation. The event was held at Sequioa Hotel, Quezon City from 21-23 November 2024.

CIS experts and computer programmers from 13 regions across the country were trained on how to effectively utilize and build upon the functionalities of ACAP. During the opening ceremony, Ms. Dorcas Trinidad (Project Management Specialist, UPLBFI) highlighted the milestones achieved by ACAP since its inception in 2021. Meanwhile, Ms. Perla Baltazar (Senior Technical Consultant, DA-CRAO), emphasized the need to scale-up CIS as it is a basic and important service needed by farmers to adapt to climate changes and variabilities.

The three-day training workshop was facilitated by Mr. Jonathan Austria (Data Management Specialist, UPLBFI), Ms. Jane Girly Balanza (CIS Consultant, UPLBFI), and Mr. Dominic Lapitan (Computer Programmer, UPLBFI). Two separate sessions for CIS Focals and Computer Programmers were conducted to provide hands-on exercises and in-depth learning sessions on how to manage, operate, and maintain the ACAP website (for CIS Focals), and on how to develop the ACAP system and its database (for Computer Programmers).

To enrich the participants’ knowledge on CIS, Ms. Ana Liza Solis (Chief, DOST PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section) and Ms. Mariecar T. Robles (Weather Specialist, DOST PAGASA) talked about the agriculture-related CIS products being developed and disseminated by DOST-PAGASA, as well as the climate- and weather-related terms that are essential for the development of agro-climatic advisories.

Lastly, Dr. Winifredo Dagli (Assistant Professor, UPLB College of Development Communication) was also invited to discuss climate information communication. He hosted a workshop for the participants to brainstorm ideas and share best practices on how to effectively communicate climate information in their respective localities.

At the end of the training, Dir. Alicia Ilaga (Director, DA-CRAO) emphasized the need to localize CIS and to foster collaboration with local stakeholders to increase reliability of the tool and promote sustainability in the long run.

The national training was conducted during the 16th Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, from 19-25 November 2023 under the theme “Bayanihan Para sa Klima: Bagong Bansang Matatag.” The event was co-organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Department of Agriculture Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (DA AMIA), and Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR).

by JRodriguez and JDCAustria