New products seek boosting Philippine food production, security
Manila - Several climate- and weather-based knowledge products aimed at enhancing Philippine agricultural and fishery production to further promote food security nationwide.
Presented Thursday (March 23) in Metro Manila, the products are results of collaboration of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO) carried out over the years in coordination with the agriculture department to help build up the country's resilience particularly to climate change.
"The products will help us adapt," said PAGASA Administrator Dr. Vicente Malano during the event.
Among those products is the technology bulletin "Impact Management of Weather Systems on Tilapia Pond Aquaculture."
Such bulletin covers Philippine weather system's immediate impact on production of "tilapia", a popular local fish.
Also covered in the bulletin are tilapia growers general emergency response measures against adverse weather and climate conditions.
"Information in the bulletin seeks helping guide food production before, during and after disasters so people don't go hungry," said PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section OIC Analiza Solis at the event.
FAO is looking forward to further collaborating with government on building up Philippine agriculture and fisheries' resilience to climate change.
"Resilience is indispensable," said FAO disaster risk reduction and climate change specialist Claudius Gabinete at the event.
The agricultural department's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) believes the products will help the country's farmers and fisherfolk better understand Philippine weather so they can respond accordingly.
Presentation of the knowledge products were among activities PAGASA lined up for its celebration of this year's World Meteorological Day (WMD) and the weather bureau's 152nd anniversary.
PAGASA also conducted a forum on the basics of clouds.
The 2017 WMD theme is "Understanding clouds" as WorldMeteorological Organization said these floating masses have "enormous importance" for weather, climate and water.
Weather, climate and water are among factors affecting food production.
WMD is observed worldwide annually on March 23. (PNA)
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