EU and PH Deepen Commitment to Boost Agri Production and Address Disaster Preparedness

Two financing agreements between the European Union (EU) and the Philippines have been signed following the launch of the Bangsamoro Agri-Enterprise Programme (BAEP) and the National Copernicus Capacity Support Action Programme for the Philippines (CopPhil).

EU Ambassador Luc Véron and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez led the launch which was held on Wednesday. The two projects, slated to begin within the year, are geared to address “the most pressing needs in the country: disaster preparedness and poverty reduction; and the cycle of vulnerability linking the two,” according to the EU.

The BAEP, with a budget of ₱1.14 billion, hopes to ramp up the agricultural production in Bangsamoro in an effort to meet market needs as well as provide support for the transitional administration in the creation of a strategy that will heighten investments in agri-business. This is a five-year program encouraging the adoption of integrated farming systems using a value chain approach.

Through the BAEP, farmers and cooperatives will be equipped to increase their production capacities, establish product standard quality systems for halal and sea-aqua products, and open new opportunities for women. CopPhil, on the other hand, on the other hand, it focused on helping the country in “developing and leveraging Space Science & Technology applications to strengthen the nation’s resilience to natural disasters and climate change.”

“This assistance from the European Union will support the Duterte administration’s already heightened efforts to boost farm productivity and achieve inclusive growth in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and further strengthen the country’s climate resilience in the face of global warming,” affirmed Dominguez.

The  ₱570-million CopPhil is aimed at implementing an innovative approach with regards to disaster reduction and climate adaptation by utilizing data collected from the EU Copernicus Earth Observation satellites and ground-based data collection systems. This three-year program will significantly influence Manila when it comes to decision-making and monitoring of policy implementation, backed by relevant and accurate data.

“In the long-term, the programme will contribute to the effective management of the environment and the natural resources of the Philippine ecosystems and improve the resilience of all livelihoods against natural hazards and climate change-related threats,” explained the EU. “The initiative has a high potential to evolve into a global replicable concept transferable to other regions of the world.”

“Understanding how our planet works and in particular how climate change affects it, is vital for sustainable economic growth and food security. Partnerships with an innovative public sector, a competitive business sector, and civil society are critical to success in these areas,” elaborated Véron.

CopPhil will be implemented by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). Ultimately, the two projects further deepen the commitments of both the EU and the Philippines in achieving Sustainable Development Goals to support peace and development, reduce inequality, and fight climate change.

Source: CNN PH