Climate Change Experiences and the Role of Community Values in Climate Change Adaptation: Focus on Women Farmers of Sitio Legleg, Palina, Kibungan, Benguet

Abstract

Women farmers, especially in developing countries, are often considered as the most vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change. Using life history approach, this study explored the experiences of women subsistence farmers in Sitio Legleg on climate change within their cultural milieu to be able to identify indicators of climate change and analyzed how community values help the women farmers adapt to climate change. Many of the women farmers experienced hotter climate, less rainfall, and dwindling water supply. Cough, colds, chicken pox, sore eyes, and amoebiasis became common ailments. They likewise experienced a widespread wilting of their main crop, sweetpotato. Nonetheless, certain community values such as gender division of labor, reciprocity and 'alluyon' helped them adapt to the potentially devastating impacts of climate change by allowing women, men and community members to share the burden of providing for the family.