Banking on researches as foundation of knowledge, Climate Change Commissioner Mary Ann Lucille Sering advocates research and development (R&D) advancements during the 23rd National Rice Research and Development Conference at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna.

As climate change commissioner operating under the mandate of the Office of the President, Sering told the public about the awareness gap among policy makers on crucial climate change issues.

“You are the people we need for crafting policies necessary for adapting to climate change as [your researches are important in making sound decisions],” Sering said.

Sering also stressed that the “agriculture sector should be allowed to flourish and that the R&D sector should be supported.”

IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler, on the other hand, said that scientists and researchers are responsible in ensuring clarity and understandability of discussions on climate change.

Zeigler noted that several people attribute slight changes in weather to climate change. Informing about 400 participants, he emphasized that climate is the average weather condition over a period of time.

“If we fall into a trap of attributing short-term weather changes to climate change, we will be among those who deny climate change as a real phenomenon,” Zeigler said.

He added that “scientific platforms should be scientifically sound, not way-off, and undistracted to those who don’t believe in it.”

Moreover, Zeigler and Sering commended PhilRice Executive Director Ronilo Beronio for organizing the conference on climate change.  

“The fate of humanity in the face of climate change is intimately intertwined with rice production. We, in the rice-growing and consuming world, think about climate change in terms of what it means to impacts on food security, poverty, and displacement of population,” Zeigler said.

In the Philippines, productivity in agriculture is primarily determined by climate. With the occurrence of El Niño in some rice-producing provinces in the country, the  Department of Agriculture estimates rice production losses of  264,940 mt worth close to P4 billion under a mild occurrence of El Niño. Meanwhile, severe dry spell could lead to losses of 816,372 mt of rice worth P12.24 billion.

It can be recalled that drought in the latter part of 1989 and the first half 1990 caused an estimated opportunity loss of P1.2 billion in rice production alone. Meanwhile, the 1997 to 1998 El Niño led to a combined loss of 1.8 mt in rice and corn production.

Amidst threats of climate change, Zeigler said that the relationship between climate and rice implies responsibilities and opportunities for the agricultural sector. “We are all in this together and we all have parts in the solution,” he added.

In the same optimism, Sering said, “It (climate change adaptation) can be done if we work fast."