Guided by this year’s theme “Kumikilos para sa Kahandaan, Kaligtasan, at Katatagan,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) reaffirms its support for the Filipino people’s ongoing collective commitment to disaster preparedness, safety, and resilience—highlighting actions already being taken by individuals, communities, and institutions nationwide.

In celebration of the 2025 National Disaster Resilience Month, the Department announced its latest move to develop a contingency plan on food to ensure food availability during strong earthquakes as well as a public service continuity plan to guarantee uninterrupted delivery of services during adverse events.

During the opening ceremony held at the DA Central Office lobby on July 1, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.—through Undersecretary for Operations and Agri-Fisheries Mechanization and Rural Credit Roger V. Navarro—announced that this move forms part of its renewed commitment to ramp up preparations in order to address the impacts of disasters on food security and to reduce losses in the agriculture and fisheries sector.

The DA, he added, is also being proactive in managing and reducing risks caused by other disasters such as drought, pests and diseases, and weather disturbances, including tropical cyclones.

“With the current onset of the rainy season, it is during this second half of the year that tropical cyclones enter the country more frequently. With this, the Department ramps up its preparations to mitigate and reduce losses in the agriculture and fisheries sector,” Usec. Navarro relayed.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) also commended the DA’s efforts, particularly citing the National Food Authority’s (NFA) achievement in improving rice buffer stock management.

“The DA’s approach reflects a deep commitment not only to its mandate but also to a future that is more resilient, responsive, and secure. At the OCD, we see these strides as strongly aligned with our own work—empowering communities, enhancing institutional capacities, and integrating resilience across governance systems,” said Eugenio Gepte Jr., Director of OCD’s Civil Defense and Disaster Management Training Institute.

By virtue of Executive Order No. 29 issued on June 28, 2017, the National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) is observed annually in the Philippines every July to highlight the transformation from disaster awareness-building to disaster resilience.

As a member of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the DA actively strengthens the resilience of the agriculture and fisheries sector, aligned with the four thematic areas of disaster risk reduction and management: prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and rehabilitation and recovery.

In line with this, the DA-Field Operations Service (FOS), through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Section (DRRMS) has lined up its series of activities for the month.

DA NDRM 2025 Activities

 (Ira Y. Cruz, DA-AFID | photos by Joseph Henry Elamparo, DA-AFID)