The Department of Agriculture (DA) has allocated USD 5.2 million this year to scale up climate-resilient farming for high-value vegetables, including tomatoes, chillies, and bell peppers.
The initiative aims to address recurring price volatility caused by weather-related supply disruptions, according to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. Funding will support the development of basic greenhouses, rain shelters, drip irrigation systems, and water impounding facilities, enabling better crop management and reducing farmers’ exposure to increasingly unpredictable climate conditions.
Implemented under the DA’s “White Revolution” programme, the initiative draws on protected cultivation practices from countries such as South Korea and Cambodia. It focuses on deploying cost-effective shelter and irrigation solutions that help safeguard crops against heavy rainfall, flooding, and pests.
Production facilities will be established near key consumption hubs, including Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao. For Metro Manila, targeted nearby provinces include Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Laguna, Rizal, and Quezon, with the aim of shortening supply chains, improving delivery efficiency, and reducing post-harvest losses.
Source: The Philippine Star
