Benguet Communities Strengthen Frost Preparedness as DOST Provides Climate Risk Support through FrostPH
As dawn slowly washes over Benguet, sheets of frost, locally known as andap, shimmer across vegetable terraces, turning cabbage and potato plots into delicate silver fields. The sight often amazes travelers and evokes nostalgia, creating a “white Christmas” not in frost-covered cities abroad but across the province’s mountains each December. Yet beneath this fleeting beauty lies a quiet burden for farmers whose livelihoods depend on the very leaves stiffened by ice.
“This seasonal irony, where beauty and potential threat to livelihood meet, is no longer unusual in our agricultural areas as the amihan winds settle over the province,” said Atty. May Nayda Mayette C. Lesino, who spoke on behalf of Buguias Mayor Julius Amos during a community engagement and outreach program held by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The DOST–Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) conducted the activity at the Sociocultural Center in Buguias. The event is part of the on-going two-year research project, “Risk Assessment of Frost Events in Benguet, Philippines (FrostPH),” funded by the DOST-National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) under its Sustainable Communities Program.
Representatives from the six (6) Benguet municipalities specifically Buguias, Atok, Kabayan, Kibungan, Mankayan, and Tublay participated in the program.
Project Leader Dr. Joseph Q. Basconcillo, a senior scientist of PAGASA and regular NRCP member under the Earth and Space Sciences Division, led the activity. He emphasized that FrostPH aims to strengthen partnerships with local communities, ensure their active involvement in the research, and respond to their actual agricultural and climate-related needs.
Dr. Basconcillo reiterated the project’s goals and potential contributions, underscoring its importance in sustaining vegetable production and enhancing food security in Benguet, widely recognized as the “Salad Bowl of the Philippines.” As one of the country’s major producers of temperate-climate vegetables, Benguet faces increasing pressure to adapt to climate variability, making reliable climate information and science-based interventions essential.
“Frost affects the agricultural cycle and threatens both local livelihoods and the wider vegetable supply chain, putting food security at risk if we fail to address it,” Dr. Basconcillo explained.
Through sustained collaboration with the municipalities, he noted that frost-risk assessments can inform long-term strategies to support resilient highland farming systems.
Buguias LGU representatives highlighted that the output of the FrostPH project will be critical in helping local governments mitigate potential agricultural losses, especially as climate change continues to alter the landscape and viability of highland vegetable production.
A forum concluded the program, allowing LGUs to voice concerns, share experiences, and provide feedback that PAGASA may integrate into the project’s second year of implementation and data collection. Among the issues raised was the need for enhanced access to and utilization of generated frost hazard maps, which are vital for planning in the six municipalities.
Moreover, the Weather Bureau Multipurpose Cooperative (WBMPC) formally turned over six (6) Starlink internet units, one for each partner municipality. LGUs shared that these units will enhance their communication systems, enabling real-time access to weather data, forecasts, and emergency advisories.
Through its agencies, PAGASA and NRCP, DOST continues to engage with partner communities to help ensure that research is translated into practical, community-level applications. These sustained efforts allow local governments to access timely climate information backed by science, strengthen agricultural resilience, and plan long-term strategies such as disaster preparedness suited to the evolving conditions of communities like Benguet.
The project which commenced in September 2024 is expected to end in August 2026. (Rose Dagupen//S&T Media Services)
