Given that climate change is an underlying factor in the spread of crop pests and disease, the Weather Protect Insurance (WPI) team just concluded its re-training on climate risks, pests, and diseases spearheaded by WPI Project Manager Rueland Mark K. Marapao and in partnership with InsuResilience Solutions Fund, and Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, on September 29, 2023, at the Golden Peak Hotel and Suites, Cebu City.

Whenever pests and diseases occur, it may be catastrophic to farmers and the agri-sector because they solely rely on crops as a means of livelihood. With over 30 participants from different cooperatives in the Visayas area, the primary objective of the re-training is to educate, evaluate, and reassess a wide range of topics from skilled guest speakers with top expertise in crop science.

Starting with Dr. Bienvenido D. Abal Jr, from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Crop Protection Center– Region 7 [CENTER], who discussed the biological control agents, Mr. James Elwyn Leyte from CIAT [LEFT] who shared information regarding climate-smart agriculture, and lastly, Dr. Niña Gracel B. Dimaano from Institute of Weed Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology in UP Los Baños [RIGHT] who delved further into different the types of crops and pest diseases.