LocationsHow a farmer-led federation is unlocking climate finance in the Philippines
Strength in numbers
April 28, 2025
Gerry Roxas Foundation
In the hills of Tapaz, Capiz, Philippines, smallholder farmers have spent generations working the land in harmony with nature. For Flora Palomar, a 46-year-old farmer in Tapaz, the cycle of planting coffee and cacao was increasingly dictated by a climate she could no longer predict. Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall didn't just affect the harvest; they broke the traditional systems of survival.
While the Philippines’ National Greening Program (NGP) has long aimed at reforestation, a persistent gap remained between national environmental targets and the local economic stability of the farmers tasked with protecting those forests.
To bridge this gap, the Climate Finance Network (CFN), with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) CARA Programme and Sweden Sida, provided the technical and financial backing for the Gerry Roxas Foundation (GRF), to implement the project: "Monetizing National Greening Program NGP Gains". By anchoring the initiative in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)’s flagship greening program, CFN ensured that climate finance moved beyond high-level policy to become a practical tool for rural prosperity.
Flora Palomar (right), a lead farmer in the federation, shares her story and walks through her family’s coffee and cacao farm in Tapaz.
A "whole-of-government" approach
The project’s success relies on a "whole-of-government" approach, creating a convergence between national agencies and local communities. Through the support of the UNDP CFN, the Jerry Roxas Foundation facilitated a strategic partnership across three key pillars:
DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources): Provides the forest management framework and technical guidance for the 26 hectares of rehabilitated land.
DTI (Department of Trade and Industry): Acts as the bridge to the private sector, helping the federation secure direct supply agreements with 20 coffee shops in Roxas City.
DOST (Department of Science and Technology): Supports the technical feasibility studies that help farmer groups move from raw harvesting to high-value processing.
"We used to rely on luck and individual connections," says Flora Palomar, now Vice President of the Tascanarra Farmers Association. "But through the training, we didn't just learn about coffee harvesting—we learned how to build trust and motivate each other. We’ve received great help in finding ways to improve our crops and our future."
Graduates of the training program and GRF staff gather after a capacity-building workshop on climate-smart agriculture
From individual struggle to collective governance
The core of the CFN intervention was the shift from fragmented, individual farming to a coordinated federation. By uniting 20 separate People’s Organizations (POs) into a single body, the project gave farmers the scale necessary to negotiate fair prices and access stable markets. This collective effort led to the rehabilitation of 60% of fruit tree plantations and the planting of over 13,000 seedlings.
For Flora and her husband, the impact is measurable. "The increase in income and stability has been enough to support our grandchildren’s education and reinvest in our farm," she explains. "We are no longer just farmers struggling in isolation—we are a community with a seat at the table."
“These supply agreements have renewed farmers’ motivation and confidence. With stable markets in place, they’re more committed to farming and to improving their livelihoods in a sustainable, people-centered way.” – Cesar Ocson, Gerry Roxas Foundation.
A young cacao pod grows in a shaded plantation—part of the revitalized agroforestry systems supported by the federation.
The CFN multiplier effect: A regional blueprint
The Capiz model serves as an example of how National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) can be operationalized at the village level:
Scaling National Policy: By demonstrating how to "monetize" the gains of the Philippines’ NGP, the CFN provides other member nations with a proven model for turning national reforestation targets into community-led, bankable enterprises.
Institutionalizing Access: The CFN is working to ensure this model is sustainable by helping the federation gain a formal seat on the Provincial Development Council of Capiz. This ensures that local climate needs are a permanent part of the government’s budgetary decisions. In addition, the involvement of the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Climate Change Commission (CCC) ensures that these local successes inform national climate expenditure tagging, creating a feedback loop between the forest floor and the national treasury.
Ensuring Social Equity: By focusing on organizational development and inclusive governance, the project ensured that one in three participants were women, preventing climate finance from widening existing inequality gaps.
As Cesar Ocson, GRF Project Manager, notes: "By balancing accountability with local ownership, we empower communities to take charge of their own sustainable future." Through the CFN, that future is now a funded, multi-agency priority.
Gerry Roxas Foundation staff and farmers conduct a field visit, assessing progress in reforested areas.
Looking ahead: From pilot to policy
As the federation refines its approach, the focus is now on institutionalizing this success. Supported by a growing coalition including Capiz State University and the Local Government Unit of Tapaz, the model is already being replicated in nearby communities, supporting youth cooperatives and Indigenous associations. This transition proves that by balancing institutional accountability with genuine local ownership, climate finance can transform a collection of individual farmers into a powerful, self-sustaining movement. As the Capiz model expands, it demonstrates that the most durable climate solutions are those where the community is the lead architect of its own future.
This story is part of a series of initiatives supported by the UNDP Climate Finance Network (CFN), a flagship programme supporting Asia-Pacific countries to bridge the gap between climate goals and the investment needed to reach them. As a regional platform, CFN provides technical and policy support to integrate climate into public finance, mobilize private and innovative capital, and create the enabling environment required for lasting impact. Supported by the UK’s FCDO flagship CARA programme and Sweden (Sida), CFN ensures climate action is transparent, coordinated, and fully funded.