The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), part of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), the Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
The MOA, signed during IRRI’s 65th anniversary celebration in Los Baños, Laguna on June 9, 2025, aims to strengthen climate resilience and enhance risk management for Filipino farmers.
The collaboration will pilot a program utilizing satellite-based technology for crop insurance and agro-advisory services.
The initiative builds on a 2023 partnership between PCIC, IRRI, and DA-PhilRice that introduced a new payout mechanism combined with agro-advisory services.
The pilot program is part of the CGIAR Climate Action Science Program and the Scaling for Impact Program, both of which focus on science-driven innovations for climate-resilient food systems.
The Philippines, which experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually, has sustained substantial agricultural losses from natural disasters. In 2024, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported P57.8 billion in losses due to floods, droughts, volcanic eruptions, pests, and diseases.
IRRI said that while crop insurance is recognized as a vital tool to mitigate the effects of climate shocks on agriculture, traditional methods have often proven inadequate due to slow claims processing, subjective damage assessments, and limited coverage.
