Rice, Resilience, and Rethinking Farming

The alarm has long sounded.

Iloilo’s rice yield continues to decline, dropping from 3.79 metric tons per hectare in 2023 to 3.64 this year.

That seemingly small dip hides an urgent reality: continued losses could slash total output by up to 25 percent by 2030, resulting in a staggering PHP11 billion in economic damage.

This is not just a farming crisis. This is a food security crisis.

As the top rice-producing province in Western Visayas and the fifth nationwide, Iloilo plays a vital role in feeding not just its own population but the rest of the region.

Any sustained drop in rice production will send ripples across supply chains and spike market prices.

Climate change is the biggest disruptor in this equation.

Erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged dry seasons, intense typhoons, and extreme heat conditions—all these climate-linked forces converge on one vulnerable front: our farmlands.

Farmers, particularly those working rain-fed fields, are often left with shrinking harvests and few alternatives.

We commend the Iloilo provincial government’s recognition of this existential threat and its efforts to secure solutions through the SERBISYO Program.

Science-based and results-oriented, the program is an ambitious attempt to increase provincial rice yields to six metric tons per hectare by 2040.

Its multi-pronged approach—climate-resilient seeds, small-scale water impounding systems, and irrigation rehabilitation—is rooted in smart adaptation.

The province’s openness to private sector partnerships is also a notable step forward.

Collaboration with input suppliers, agri-tech innovators, and water utilities could accelerate the deployment of technologies and infrastructures that government alone cannot quickly scale.

However, this private involvement must be pursued with eyes wide open.

The upside is undeniable.

Private capital and expertise can help fund high-cost infrastructure, enhance distribution of climate-resilient seeds, and introduce precision agriculture that could help farmers make the most of their limited resources.

But there are also serious risks.

Private sector participation can shift priorities away from farmer welfare toward profitability.

Without strong safeguards, partnerships could lead to overpricing of farm inputs or favoritism in service distribution, especially in remote or marginalized areas.

Transparency, regulation, and strong public oversight are critical to ensuring that private investment serves farmers first and foremost—not shareholders alone.

That means clearer metrics for partnership accountability, firm commitments to price ceilings on inputs, and farmer representation in program planning and implementation.

The broader reality is that SERBISYO cannot succeed without farmer buy-in.

Farmers need training on how to use climate-resilient seeds, how to manage irrigation systems, and how to shift to more water-efficient practices.

They must be given a meaningful seat at the table—not just treated as recipients of technology but as equal partners in innovation.

More than that, national agencies must step up their support.

Government agencies should channel more climate adaptation funds toward local governments like Iloilo that are already proactively mobilizing solutions.

The province’s data shows us a grim path ahead—but it also offers a path forward.

Doing nothing risks a collapse in our local rice economy.

But with sustained investments, stronger farmer engagement, and innovative, transparent partnerships, Iloilo could emerge as a model for climate-resilient agriculture.

The challenge is not just to adapt. It is to act—urgently, decisively, and inclusively.