EIGHT villages in the province of Benguet had been identified to be susceptible to the effects of climate change. These are villages Tinongdan of Itogon; Kamog, Sablan; Loo, Buguias: Balakbak, Kapangan; Guinaoang, Mankayan; Ampusongan, Bakun; Madaymen, Kibungan and Cattubo, Atok.
The climate change hazards most frequently experienced are typhoons, strong winds, monsoon rains, and dry spell according to a study conducted by Mursha Gapasin, Ma. Luz Fanga-asan, Carlito Laurean, and Marissa Parao of Benguet State University.
Frost is another impact of climate change but is affecting only the villages of Madaymen, Kibungan and Cattubo, Atok and to a lesser degree in Guinaoang, Mankayan. This hazard occurs twice in a year starting from the month of December to February when the temperature drops to less than 10 degrees Celsius.
Among the climate change hazards, typhoon was identified to be the most damaging but the magnitude damage varies among the villages because of their difference in slope. This was followed by strong wind, monsoon landslide, and dry spell. Hailstone had the least percentage magnitude damage.
Typhoons and monsoon rain cause rotting of crops, breaking of stems and twigs or totally flattening of plants into land, and falling down of fruit tree although the percentage damage caused by monsoon is higher than typhoon in villages Madaymen and Cattubo having a high elevation.
Damage to vegetable crops due to typhoon range from 80 to 100 percent as most plants needs to be replaced. Dry spell causes an increase in the number of plant pests and diseases. It also leads to yellowing or blackening of leaves, stunted growth and smaller size of plants.
Landslide affects only 10 percent of the agricultural area of the community but when roads are affected, the percentage impact it cause to the community is higher. It causes road closure which isolates the place and affects the transport of vegetables for marketing.
With the damages of hazards especially with agriculture, adaptation methods should be employed before the occurrence of the hazards. It can be recalled that agriculture has been the traditional source of employment of the people in the Province of Benguet producing and contributing 80 percent of the national domestic consumption requirements for temperate vegetables and strawberry in its 141,447 ha agricultural land.
The study recommended that farmers will explore the potential use of rain shelters, wind breaks, water impounding systems and other crop protection strategies that are adaptive to changes in climate. Concerned agencies to involve community members in the identification and implementation of needed technology and other climate change related interventions is another and concerned agency like the Department of Trade and Industry to provide skills development training to communities to have additional alternative livelihood income; and other institutions to provide avenues for affordable credit facilities to support crop production.
The output of this study may be used also as reference of villages in making a project proposal for the development of their agricultural communities. (Alexander Fagyan, Climate Smart Agriculture Center, BSU)