Problem Tree Analysis in Farm Communities: An Analytical Review of Climate Adaptation and Agrarian Barriers in the Philippines

Marsam Usman; Aldrees Ansary Guro; Rasmiah Macabalang-Mama; Reymard Galarrita

doi:10.47134/jbea.v3i3.1161

Authors

Marsam Usman Mindanao State University
Aldrees Ansary Guro Mindanao State University
Rasmiah Macabalang-Mama Mindanao State University
Reymard Galarrita Mindanao State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47134/jbea.v3i3.1161

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the climate adaptation deficit in small-scale agriculture in the Philippines through the intersection of socio-ecological and institutional barriers. Specifically, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach was employed, where relevant publications were obtained from the Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases between the years 2015 and 2025. Through stringent inclusion criteria, a total of 28 peer-reviewed articles and institutional documents were coded within a multidimensional conceptual framework based on the Problem Tree Analysis Approach. It was found that 67% of the agricultural land was at risk due to natural hazards such as floods in the Bicol River Basin. This main problem was anchored in institutional barriers such as expensive input prices and dwindling labor (24%-30% of the national labor), which resulted in the lack of liquidity required for investment in adaptation initiatives. Institutional gender inequalities existed, as policies were formulated in an autocratic manner that ignored women, who were therefore denied property ownership and access to credit despite having the Magna Carta of Women. Decentralization, therefore, worked best. In practical terms, the study highlighted the need for NEDA and LGUs to move towards decentralized funding packages, as well as the necessity for DAR and DENR to provide long-term land titles to encourage preservation efforts. Lastly, extension services required gender quotas

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