PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY ON

ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE THROUGH TRADITIONAL
ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
(RESEARCH DEFENDED!)
RESEARCHERS:
KENT JOHN C. SANDULOG
JHELLIAN CLAIRE M. VERO
CZARINADAMSIL C. SANCHEZ
 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Indigenous cultures have centuries of experience with
local natural resources. Because Indigenous groups have
lived in, and in many cases cultivated their landscapes for
millennia, many have recorded a multitude of
environmental and biodiversity changes and can correlate
these along both long-term and more immediate timescales,
as well as the struggles of dealing with the impacts of
change. Traditional ecological knowledge has the potential
to inform various aspects of climate change assessments
(Vinyeta and Lynn, 2013)
 STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
This study sticks to determine
the answer to the question: how
do local farmers in Bangahan,
Pangantucan, Bukidnon, adapt to
climate change using Traditional
Ecological Knowledge?
 OBJECTIVE OF THE
STUDY
This study aims to examine how
do local farmers in Bangahan,
Pangantucan, Bukidnon, adapt to
climate change using Traditional
Ecological Knowledge.
 METHODOLOGY
 This is a Qualitative research which particularly is a
Phenomenological study. This was employed to further understand the
experiences of the interviewees regarding on the ever-changing effect
of climate change on their community.
 Itis one of the barangay in the municipality of Pangantucan that is
located west of the Province of Bukidnon. The barangay is located
south of the municipality with about a total of 5,000 people whose
majority depends on farming as their main livelihood.
 We have accumulated 10 Research Participants aged 40 and above
which are farmers in the Barangay.
 METHODOLOGY
 Inthis research, we used two kinds of sampling procedures. These
are Random Sampling and Purposive Sampling Procedures.
Random sampling means that we tallied the names of every
potential participant within the research locale and rolled them on
a piece of paper. We then shuffled the names and picked them
randomly by which we then proceed on interviewing the
participant that we randomly picked. The Purposive Sampling
Procedure is used in determining the right and the perfect
participants for our study. This sampling procedure enabled us to
limit and choose the right range of people that fit the requirements
of the eligible participants to conduct our research.
 METHODOLOGY
 Toassess the traditional knowledge of local farmers in Bangahan,
Pangantucan, Bukidnon, we visited the participants in their houses
and interviewed them face-to-face one by one. The instrument that
we used is an audio recorder on our cellphones to record their
response and answers which we then transcribed on our notes.
 Afterwe acquired the desired data from our house-to-house
interviews, we then transcribed the participants’ answers to our
questions which we then translated into our paper. After we
translated it, we then used Thematic Data Analysis on analyzing the
data acquired from the interviews with the participants. By this, we
can properly analyze the common themes between the interviews
conducted among the participants of the study.
 FINDINGS
The major findings of this phenomenological study came up with five (5) themes in
respect to Thematic Data Analysis. These are:
 FINDINGS
Theme 1: Utilizing Indigenous and Exotic Food for Survival
Because of El Nino that happened during the year 1973 which caused nine
months of no rain, farmers could not plant crops on their farm because they
can’t find any glimpse of rain in the sky causing farmers to suffer with
hunger. That is why, farmers found a source of food that they ate to survive.
They ate a wild intoxicating yam called Nami commonly called as Kayos.
It is one of the food that they consumed to survive that devastation of El
Nino. Because of the fact that this plant contains toxins, farmers found a
way to properly prepare this kind of food. By using their traditional
knowledge, they found a way to remove the toxins of this food for them to
eat and survive the El Nino.
 FINDINGS
Theme 1: Utilizing Indigenous and Exotic Food for Survival
“We have no choice but to carefully prepare the Kayos
because we have no other food to eat during that El Nino.
Why would we eat that toxic yam when there are other
things to eat?” This was quoted from participants 6, and 8
who experienced hardships during the effect of El Nino in
their lives as farmers.
 FINDINGS
Theme 2: Practicing Traditional Production for Family
Consumption and Generating Income
Like all typical farmers, here in Bangahan, farmers rely mostly on
their harvest. Participants 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10, said that the crops that
are yielded on their farm are the main source of income and the daily
meal that they eat. Mainly these sources are rice that they harvest
from their rice fields, and fruits from trees. These traditional farm
products are still being produced on their farms for them to consume
and get income by selling their products up to this day.
 FINDINGS
Theme 3: Integrating Traditional Method and
Practices in Modern Farming
Based on participants’ 1, 3, 6, 9, and 10 experiences,
farmers still use their traditional way of farming. Using
the method of plowing their fields using plowing
equipment (arado and karas). These equipments are
attached in the back of a carabao.
 FINDINGS
Theme 3: Integrating Traditional Methods and Practices in
Modern Farming
Moreover, because of the innovations and discoveries in
farming and agricultural industries, many traditional methods
and equipment are not being used and practiced anymore. Rice
mills now exists so, milling rice is now easier than before.
 FINDINGS
Theme 3: Integrating Traditional Methods and Practices in
Modern Farming
Also, because of strong typhoons and monsoons, the
rice fields of farmers tend to be flooded causing failure of
the crops and a small harvest. For the farmers to adapt to
this change, they enlarge the canals and clear the weeds on
them to let the water flow freely and not let it overflow on
the rice fields.
 FINDINGS
Theme 4: Utilizing Traditional Management of
Animals and Water Sources
Participants 1 and 10 said that methods before taking care of
farm animals are still being practiced traditionally up to this day
by the farmers here in Bangahan. After carabaos finish working
in the field, farmers then drive them to the pasture and guard it as
they eat(paharab). After this, they then drive to their next
destination which is a pond to let it cool down(patubog).
 FINDINGS
Theme 4: Utilizing Traditional Management
of Animals and Water Sources
Furthermore, participants 2, 3, 6, and 10 said that the
traditional water source of the barangay is all from
underground springs. They use hoses that act as
water transport from the spring to their houses on
their farm.
 FINDINGS
Theme 5: Using Traditional Weather Observation,
Analysis and Forecasting
As observed by all the participants that we’ve interviewed, they shared
that before you can determine and you can have basis on what months
will be sunny season and what months will be rainy season. When the
rainy season arrives, typically around March and April, farmers plant
their crops together. But now, sadly because of climate change, the signs
and basis they follow does not coincide anymore with the month they
assume to be rainy or sunny season. Because of this, they plant rice
when rain comes and harvest when there rice ripens.
 CONCLUSION
This study concluded that local farmers of
Bangahan Pangantucan Bukidnon have:
 CONCLUSION
A. Because of Climate Change, El Nino affected the lives of
the farmers in Barangay Bangahan, Pangantucan,
Bukidnon. But despite this, farmers still adapted and
survived the El Nino by eating a plant called Kayos.
This intoxicating yam is the witness of the farmer’s
survival throughout the devastation of El Nino on their
farmlands. By this, we can conclude that farmers
adapted and survive that El Nino with the use of their
Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
 CONCLUSION
B. As to what we found with our interviews,
we have concluded that farmers on the
barangay mainly get their source of
income and food consumption on their
farms which is still a traditional practice
since their time before.
 CONCLUSION
C. Based on the findings that we accumulated in our
interviews, we’ve concluded that farmers indeed adapted to
the effects of climate change on their farms using the
traditional knowledge that they know and practice up to
this day. One of them is the act of enlarging the canals and
clearing the weeds to let the water flow freely and not let it
overflow on their wet rice fields(basakan). With help from
modern technology and machinery, farmers took advantage
of it which led to increasing their harvest and reducing their
hardships on their farm.
 CONCLUSION
D. As to what we found out with the interviews, the
methods of the farmer’s animal management
and their water sources that come from
underground springs, are still traditionally being
practiced and used today. That is why, we’ve
concluded that farmers are still traditionally
adapting and striving to survive on their farms
using their traditional knowledge of animal
management and their source of water.
 CONCLUSION
E. From the observations of the participant with
the weather, we have concluded that the
weather pattern experienced by the farmers
has unusually changed which is caused by
climate change. Rainy and Sunny day has
become more uncertain for them and it
affected the yield of their crops which also
affected their way of life as farmers.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the findings and the
conclusions, the following
recommendations were drawn:
 RECOMMENDATION
A. We cannot control when will another El Nino devastates
our region especially since climate change worsens as time
goes by. That is why, we recommend that when El Nino
strikes once again, farmers in Barangay Bangahan should
utilize other food sources that are not toxic just like that
intoxicating yam. Especially today that we are in a
generation where we can find many sources of food in our
surroundings and the government is always there to help its
people. They should not eat that kind of yam again.
 RECOMMENDATION
B. Farmers here in Bangahan mostly rely on their harvest to
get income and family consumption. Based on our findings
on traditional production for farming consumption and
generating income, we recommend that farmers should
continue practicing their traditional knowledge in farm
production to obtain and generate more income for their
daily needs. We also recommend that they should increase
their farm production of crops and animals to help aid
their future income for their respective families.
 RECOMMENDATION
C. In terms of the traditional farming methods used by the
farmers, we recommend that they should still practice the
knowledge that still has its efficiency that will help their
farming more easily such as those plowing equipment (arado
and karas). We also recommend that Local Government and
other agricultural organizations should help farmers in
Barangay Bangahan with their burdens in farming and they
should provide subsidies and benefits to the farmers such as
fertilizers, seedlings, cash assistance, and new machinery that
can aid the weaknesses of the traditional knowledge of the
farmers in this modern society.
 RECOMMENDATION
D. With the water sources of the farmers, we
recommend that they should secure that the
underground springs are free from any diseases that
may endanger their lives. Diseases such as typhoid
and diarrhea that has the potential to lead to severe
cases. They should decontaminate water sources
especially when it is raining using Chlorine or any
sort of decontaminating agents that may ensure that
the springs are safe to drink and to be used by the
 RECOMMENDATION
D. In terms of the farmer’s management of their
animals, we recommend that they should
continue their traditional way of practicing
their farm animals especially their carabaos to
avoid any diseases and infection on them when
they are fed with any food that is not safe for
them.
 RECOMMENDATION
E. Despite the changes in weather and climate in the
barangay, we recommend to the farmers that they
should adapt to it by altering some of the traditional
knowledge that they know about. They should
estimate and start new observations on the climate
that they are experiencing and add these new
observations to the existing traditional knowledge that
they already had to help them take on any
countermeasures to adapt to the changes that affect
the state of their farms.
 RECOMMENDATION
Finally, future research about traditional
ecological knowledge among the farmers of
Barangay Bangahan is essential in order to explore
the experiences and the undergoing adaptation
within the farmers on their farms that could
generate more possibilities of science-experimental
testing with this knowledge present from farmers
residing in Barangay Bangahan, Pangantucan,
Bukidnon.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!