Participants of the workshop
QUEZON CITY, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with EcoSecurities and the University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation Inc. (UPLBFI), conducted a two-day capacity-building workshop to advance climate-resilient agricultural finance.
Titled "Data-Driven Parametric Crop Insurance for Corn: Loss Modeling, Climate Risk, and GIS-Based Payout Systems for PCIC," the workshop was held on 5–6 March 2026 at Microtel by Wyndham UP Technohub in Quezon City.
The event brought together technical staff from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) and partner institutions to enhance their technical capabilities in developing innovative parametric crop insurance products. These financial tools are designed to bolster the resilience of corn farmers facing climate-induced calamities in the Philippines.
Participants from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC)
The workshop forms part of the ongoing Asian Development Bank (ADB) Technical Assistance program TA-10009: Accelerating Climate Resilience in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and the Environment. The program supports the country's Climate Change Action Program (CCAP) currently implemented by SEARCA, Ecosecurities, and UPLBFI.
Through a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises, participants developed an end-to-end prototype of a parametric insurance scheme for corn, integrating climate risk assessment, loss modeling, geospatial trigger design, and payout calculation. Sessions covered Philippine climate and weather systems, parametric insurance modeling for corn, loss modeling using the R statistical software, development of Excel-based payout frameworks, and the application of geographic information systems (GIS) for spatial analysis and trigger design.
Presentation on climate and weather systems
Presentation on parametric crop insurance modeling
Presentation on loss modeling using the R statistical software
Presentation of the Excel-based VBA framework
Presentation on geographic information systems (GIS)
Resource speakers
The workshop provided PCIC technical staff with practical tools to develop, test, and scale innovative agricultural insurance products.
Introduction of the PDTS HeadBy enhancing climate risk management in the agriculture sector, the initiative contributes to the development of climate-responsive insurance mechanisms that protect farmers against increasing climate variability and extreme weather events. It also aligns with national policy actions under the CCAP to pilot parametric insurance solutions and strengthen climate resilience in agriculture.
SEARCA continues to support collaborative research and capacity building a that leverage data-driven decision-making and innovative financial tools to strengthen the resilience of agricultural systems in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia.