Research article

Research article

Vulnerability Assessment of Agricultural Produce to

Flooding in Libacao, Aklan, Philippines
Nenia Bohulano1*

1 College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Environmental Sciences, Aklan State University, Banga, Aklan, Philippines, 5601
* Correspondence: [Link]@[Link]

Abstract: Climate change affects agricultural productivity, food security, and

Citation: rural livelihoods globally. Changes in temperature, rainfall patterns, and
Bohulano, N. Vulnerability extreme weather events like droughts, floods, and stronger typhoons cause
assessment of agricultural substantial damage to crops, livestock, and infrastructure and harm the
produce to flooding in libacao, agricultural sector as a whole. The Philippines is highly vulnerable to natural
aklan, Philippines. ASEAN J. disasters due to its geographical and environmental setting. Aklan Province in
Sci. Tech. Report. 2025, 28(5), Western Visayas, Philippines, boasts of its high geographic diversity, having five
e258574. [Link]
major river systems. Aklan River is the largest, longest, and third-largest
/ajstr.v28i5.258574
drainage basin on the island. A conducted geohazard mapping and assessment
identified Libacao to be vulnerable to the threat of flooding. This study focused
Article history: on assessing the vulnerability of the agricultural produce in the Municipality of
Received: April 1, 2025
Libacao, Aklan, which is one of the communities along the Aklan River. The
Revised: July 18, 2025
barangays of Calacabian, Calamcam, Casit-an, Dalagsaan, Guadalupe, Janlud,
Accepted: August 16, 2025
Available online: September
Julita, Loctuga, Magugba, Manika, Ortega, Oyang, Pampango, Pinonoy, and
14, 2025 Rivera were assessed as they were situated along the Aklan River. The
assessment identified rice, abaca, coconuts, bamboo, and banana as the top
agricultural produce in Libacao. Vulnerability assessment showed that rice
Publisher’s Note:
production in Calacabian, Calamcam, Casit-an, Loctuga, Pampango, Pinonoy,
This article is published and
distributed under the terms and Rivera was highly vulnerable. Also, Casit-an, Loctuga, Pampango, and
of Thaksin University. Rivera were assessed to be very highly vulnerable to coconuts. For bananas, the
barangays of Calacabian, Casit-an, Pampango, and Pinonoy were identified to
have very high vulnerability. With the vulnerable areas identified, the Local
Government Unit (LGU) of Libacao may consider the results in their planning
and strategies.

Keywords: Agricultural vulnerability; flood hazard; adaptive capacity

1. Introduction
The significant impacts of climate change, especially on the agricultural
sector, have been concerning. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of
the United Nations reported that climate change is affecting agricultural
productivity, food security, and rural livelihoods across the globe [1]. Some
impacts of climate change on agriculture include changes in temperature,
rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events like droughts, floods, and stronger
typhoons. Extreme weather events cause substantial damage to crops, livestock,
and infrastructure, which in turn leads to a considerable economic loss for
farmers and the agricultural sector as a whole. The Philippines, due to its
geographical and environmental setting, is highly vulnerable to natural disasters
as an archipelago situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, with more than 7,000

ASEAN J. Sci. Tech. Report. 2025, 28(5), e258574. [Link]

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islands and 36,000 kilometers of coastline [2]. The Philippines has endured enormous losses from one disaster
after another and has experienced 317 extreme weather events during the last decade. It incurred damages
worth at least PHP 515.51 billion due to disasters from 2010 to 2020, of which 98% were climate-related [3].
Aklan Province in Western Visayas, Philippines, boasts of its high geographic diversity, ranging from rivers
to white sandy beaches, mangroves, and mountainous landscapes. The province has five major river systems.
Aklan River is the largest, longest, and third-largest drainage basin on the Island of Panay. The Aklan River
system is part of the vital Aklan River Forest Reserve, which serves several municipalities along its banks.
The Philippines is among the top ten countries in Asia affected by flooding due to annual monsoonal
rains and numerous typhoons [4]. Flooding is a type of natural disaster caused by extreme rainfall and has
direct local effects. In such a way that it transforms the morphology of the riverbed, damages materials, or
destroys infrastructures. In addition, it causes the loss of human life and has a significant socioeconomic
impact over time. As stated by dela Torre et al. [4], flood damages are unavoidable, but by identifying which
areas are susceptible to severe effects of this hazard due to underlying biophysical and socioeconomic factors,
mitigating measures can be adopted by agricultural planners and farm managers. As such, the Aklan River
causes disruptions when there is prolonged heavy rain. The increase in the average water level of the river
leaves the residents living along the riverbanks or low-lying areas to take immediate action, such as
evacuation. Likewise, damaged farmlands were prevalent.
A report by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau [5] identified towns in the Province of Aklan that were
vulnerable to the threat of flooding. Results showed that Libacao, along with Madalag, Banga, Malinao, Lezo,
Numancia, and the capital town of Kalibo, were the most vulnerable to the threat of flooding. These towns
were situated along the Aklan River and experienced the impacts and consequences of river floods in recent
years. The unceasing heavy rainfall has caused the Aklan River to overflow into the areas along the river. In
the June 2008 Panay Island flooding resulting from Typhoon “Frank”, there were reports of widespread
landslides in the mountain range of Panay Island, also including the Aklan River headwaters. It suggested the
possibility of damming tributaries that may have contributed to the flooding [6]. In 2014, Typhoon “Seniang”
hit and threatened the municipality of Libacao along with neighboring towns with heavy downpours and
uninterrupted rainfall that led to flooding, which affected the residents living along the Aklan River, especially
farm households, and damaged the infrastructure. Tropical Depression “Agaton” in 2018 also flooded the
areas along the Aklan River in the towns of Libacao, Kalibo, Madalag, Numancia, Banga, and Malinao. Severe
Tropical Storm “Paeng” has also recently devastated the province of Aklan. The province reported a total of
eight deaths in Aklan, of which five deaths were in Libacao, and the agriculture sector incurred the most
significant amount of damage with around PHP 119.30 million [7].
The staggering effects of climate change, particularly the effects of flooding on crops, have become a
grave concern worldwide [8]. As the Aklan River continues to threaten the natural resources, physical
resources, and the inhabitants along the river, it is imperative to assess the vulnerability of these communities
to hydrologic hazards, specifically flooding. The study focused on the assessment of vulnerability of the
agricultural produce in one of the communities along the Aklan River, the Municipality of Libacao. The study
aimed to determine the profile of the communities within the municipality that are exposed to hydrologic
hazards, specifically flooding, and to assess their vulnerability in terms of their agricultural resources. Results
can provide an objective and scientific basis for risk management decisions, priority setting, and resource
allocation in environmental disaster management, and provide a rational basis for an enhanced
implementation and policy development of the Local Government Unit (LGU).

2. Materials and Methods

2.1 Study area
The Municipality of Libacao in the Province of Aklan is located in Panay Island of the Western Visayas
(Region VI), Philippines. It is a landlocked third-class municipality with a determined population of 28,272 as
of the 2020 Census [9]. The municipality has a land area of 254.98 square kilometers or 98.45 square miles,
which makes up around 14.49% of Aklan's total area. It is divided into 24 barangays. Libacao is situated along
the Aklan River, which is the largest and longest river, with a primary waterway of 1,761.6 kilometers
downstream [10]. This is the major river basin that traverses several municipalities in the province and is also
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within the Proclaimed Aklan Watershed and Forest Reserve of the province, with an area of 2,064 km2 located
in the municipalities of Libacao and Madalag. The map of the study area is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Map of the study area of Libacao, Aklan [11]. Yellow lines represent political boundaries

2.2. Vulnerability assessment

Vulnerability assessment of agricultural produce to flooding in Libacao was based on indicators
clustered into respective components, such as the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Selected 15
barangays along the Aklan River were the following: Dalagsaan, Manika, Oyang, Rivera, Loctuga, Ortega,
Pampango, Casit-an, Guadalupe, Pinonoy, Julita, Calamcam, Janlud, Magugba, and Calacabian. Participatory
assessments such as Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) were also done with the participation of the
community residents to assess and draw out information on the status, problems, and issues of the
community. Stakeholders’ participation in Disaster and Climate Risk Assessments (CDRA), focus group
discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) was also performed for the assessment. Field
assessment and secondary data analysis were also done for the validation of the community [12].
2.3 Data collection and analysis
A collection of primary datasets was done through farmer household (HH) surveys on the 55
households located along the Aklan River. In addition, a Key Informant Interview (KII) was conducted with
5 representatives of the barangays, which include the Barangay Captain, Barangay Health Worker, Barangay
Kagawad in-charge of the Enviroment and Agriculture, Barangay Secretary, and Barangay Risk Reduction
Management Officer and focus group discussion with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources
Office (MENRO), Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Municipal Agriculturist
Officer. Hence, data validation was conducted online with the presence of the Municipal Mayor and MENRO.
A copy of the vulnerability result was presented to the municipal level. Survey materials consisted of questions
investigating the status and characteristics of the farmlands and the socioeconomic and agroecological
attributes of the farmer households. A descriptive research method was used in the data collection. The
situation or given state of affairs in terms of specified aspects or factors was described in this. Described were
the characteristics of individuals or groups of households in the community or physical environments and the
conditions of the communities along the Aklan River basin, specifically the agricultural practices or the farming
systems in the community. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data
gathered from the community, and situational analysis was done to validate further the information generated.
Significant differences between means were evaluated by One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at p<0.05
using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Frequencies and means were used in the study. The vulnerability scoring (LGU
Guidebook on the Formulation of Local Climate Change Action Plan [13] using the formula and matrix below:
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THREAT LEVEL (based on the exposure and sensitivity analysis)

RELATIVE VULNERABILITY =
ADAPTIVE CAPACITY

MATRIX:
ADAPTIVE RELATIVE
HAZARD THREAT LEVEL
CAPACITY VULNERABILITY
4/3 = 1.33 (Low
EXAMPLE: DROUGHT 4 (Medium High) 3 (Medium)
vulnerability)

LEGEND:
ADAPTIVE CAPACITY SCORE
THREAT RELATIVE
High (5) Medium Medium Medium Low (1)
LEVEL VULNERABILITY
High (4) (3) Low (2)
High (5) 1 1.25 1.66 2.5 5 High (4-5)
Medium 0.8 1 1.33 2 4 Medium High
High (4) (2.1-3.9)
Medium (3) 0.6 0.75 1 1.5 3 Medium (1.5-2)
Medium 0.4 0.5 0.66 1 2 Medium Low (1-
Low (2) 1.49)
Low (1) 0.2 0.25 0.33 0.5 1 Low (>1)

3. Results and Discussion

3.1 Profile of the area and the respondents
Shown in Table 1 is the profile of the selected barangays situated along the Aklan River in terms of
their population, number of households, number of farmers, agricultural land use, and total land area. The
population in each barangay varies from 344 to 2,090. The barangay of Casit-an was the least populated, and
Manika was the most populated. Moreover, the number of households ranged from 90 households in Casit-
an to 631 households in Manika. It was observed that Janlud had 115 farmers tilling 44.0 ha of land, while
Manika had the highest number of farmers at 975. Furthermore, the amount of land used for agricultural
activities ranged from 44 to 591 hectares.
Table 1. Profile of selected barangays situated along the Aklan River.
No. of Agricultural Land
Barangay Population No. of Farmers
Households Use (ha)
Calacabian 943 235 410 54.50
Calamcam 1,012 166 180 378.97
Casit-an 344 90 255 153.66
Dalagsaan 1,908 393 450 390.50
Guadalupe 1,784 453 551 446.00
Janlud 1,306 319 115 44.00
Julita 2,077 483 690 271.50
Loctuga 1,832 346 290 578.00
Magugba 904 243 305 177.00
Manika 2,090 631 975 63.00
Ortega 1,295 310 640 368.50
Oyang 935 268 720 68.00
Pampango 1,504 396 896 515.80
Pinonoy 828 183 262 591.00
Rivera 648 160 157 207.00
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Aklan is mainly an agricultural province since almost 110,452.0 hectares or 60.44% of its total land area
is vast plains or rolling hills devoted to rice and other crops [10]. In Libacao, the top agricultural produce from
the selected barangays was identified as shown in Table 2. The most common produce that was cultivated
includes Rice, Abaca, Banana, Coconuts, Bamboo, and other produce.
Table 2. Agricultural Produce, Area Planted, and Crop Exposure/Vulnerability Rating of selected barangays
situated along the Aklan River.

Barangay Agricultural Produce Total Area (ha) Crop exposure/Vulnerability Rating

Calacabian Abaca 2 Very low
Bamboo 15 Very High
Banana 2 Very High
Coconuts 10 High
Corn 2 Very High
Rice 20 Very High
Root crops (Sweet 2 Very High
potato, Peanut)
Vegetable 1.5 Very High
Calamcam Abaca 13.25 Medium
Copra 138 Medium
Rice 57.75 Very High
Root crops 174.97 Medium
Casit-an Abaca 15.54 Very low
Bamboo 45.94 Very low
Banana 15 Very High
Coconuts 16 Very High
Corn 10 Very High
Rice 41.18 Very High
Root crops 10 Very High
Dalagsaan Abaca 200 Very low
Bamboo 20 Very low
Banana 5 Very low
Rice 165.5 Very low
Guadalupe Abaca 100 Very Low
Bamboo 5 Very Low
Banana 100 Very Low
Copra 100 Very Low
Corn 25 Low
Fruit Trees 66 Very Low
Rice 25 Low
Root crops/ Vegetables 25 Medium
Janlud Abaca 7 Very Low
Coconuts 10 Very Low
Rice 25 Low
Root crops 2 Very Low
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Table 2. Agricultural Produce, Area Planted, and Crop Exposure/Vulnerability Rating of selected barangays
situated along the Aklan River. (Continues)

Barangay Agricultural Produce Total Area (ha) Crop exposure/Vulnerability Rating

Julita Abaca 170.25 Very Low
Bamboo 170.25 Very Low
Coconuts 170.25 Medium
Fruit Trees 170.25 Very Low
Root crops 217.50 Medium
Rice 217.50 Medium
Vegetables 217.50 Medium
Loctuga Abaca 500 Very Low
Coconuts 10 Very High
Fruit Trees 5 Very Low
Rice 50 Very High
Root crops 10 Very Low
Vegetables 3 Very Low
Magugba Abaca 10 Very Low
Banana 15 Very Low
Bamboo 67 Low
Cassava 15 Very Low
Coconuts 5 Very Low
Corn 15 Medium
Rice 50 Low
Manika Abaca 50 Very Low
Bamboo 10 Very Low
Coconuts 1 Very Low
Corn 1 Very High
Rice 1 High
Ortega Abaca 139 Medium
Coconuts 118 Medium
Corn 45 Medium
Rice 66.50 Low
Oyang Abaca 35 Very Low
Bamboo 3 Very Low
Banana 2 Very Low
Coconuts 2 Very Low
Rice 25 High
Root crops (Taro) 1 Very Low
Pampango Abaca 350 Medium
Bamboo 50 Medium
Banana 30 Very High
Copra 20 Very High
Fruit Trees 8 Very High
Ginger 5 Very High
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Table 2. Agricultural Produce, Area Planted, and Crop Exposure/Vulnerability Rating of selected barangays
situated along the Aklan River. (Continues)

Barangay Agricultural Produce Total Area (ha) Crop exposure/Vulnerability Rating

Rice 52.8 Very High
Pinonoy Abaca 20 Very Low
Bamboo 4 Very Low
Banana 2 Very High
Coconuts 509 High
Fruit Trees 15 Very Low
Peanut 1 Very High
Rice 40 Very High
Rivera Abaca 150 Very Low
Bamboo 15 Low
Coconuts 5 Very High
Rice 37 Very High

3.2 Vulnerability assessment

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [14] stated that vulnerability encompasses a variety
of concepts and elements, including sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt.
It involves a combination of factors that determine the degree to which someone’s life, livelihood, property,
and other assets are at risk from an event or cascade of events in nature [15]. Vulnerability can be a function
of the system's sensitivity to climate change, exposure to climatic hazards, and its adaptive capacity to these
changes. Vulnerability assessment is a process of identifying and evaluating the potential risks and impacts of
a hazard or stressor on a system or population. These vulnerability assessments identify the factors that
contribute to vulnerability and inform the development of strategies to reduce or manage those risks. Exposure
is one of the dimensions of vulnerability assessment. It is defined as the degree to which a system is exposed
to climatic variations, considering both the frequency and extent of its contact with a hazard [16]. Shown in
Figure 2 is the exposure of the top crops, such as rice, abaca, coconuts, bamboo, and banana, to flooding. In
terms of rice (Figure 2a), six barangays were evaluated to have high exposure (>40%), namely: Calacabian,
Pampango, Calamcam, Ortega, Rivera, and Loctuga. This resulted in the economic value of crop loss that
ranged from Php1,620,000.00 to Php103,685,400.00 with an exposed area of 20 to 50 ha (Table 3). Calacabian
was assessed to have the highest exposure among them. Pinonoy, Manika, and Casit-an were assessed to have
medium exposure (<40%) in the area exposed from 0.3 to 15 ha. The crop economic value lost ranged from
Php21,048.00 to Php1,800,000.00 (Table 3). The barangays of Guadalupe, Janlud, Magugba, Oyang, and Julita
were evaluated to have low exposure to flooding hazards. On the other hand, Dalagsaan has no areas exposed
to flooding hazards. For abaca, Barangay Ortega was highly exposed, and Calamcam and Pampango had low
exposure (≤20%), while the rest were not exposed, as shown in Figure 2b. For coconuts (Figure 2c), four
barangays were highly exposed areas (Pampango, Loctuga, Ortega, and Rivera), and Casit-an had medium
exposure. The highly exposed areas ranged from 2 to 57 ha with an economic value lost of 75,000.00 to
1,425,000.00, while the Casit-an area exposed was 5 ha with an economic loss of 150,000.00 (Table 3).
Calacabian, Calamcam, Pinonoy, and Julita were areas with low exposure. In terms of areas with bamboo (Fig.
2d), Pampango, Rivera, and Magugba were found to have low exposure. The rest of the areas, namely:
Calacabian, Casit-an, Dalagsaan, Guadalupe, Julita, Manika, Oyang, and Pinonoy, were not exposed to the
identified hazard. Shown in Figure 2e are the areas of Libacao that have high exposure when it comes to
bananas. It was assessed that Pampango, Pinonoy, and Calacabian were highly exposed areas. The economic
value lost from these barangays ranges from Php5,000 to Php1,020,000.00 from 1 to 25 ha of bananas. Also,
Casit-an was evaluated to have medium exposure (5 ha) with an economic value of Php50,000.00 for bananas.
Areas in Dalagsaan, Guadalupe, Magugba, and Oyang were not exposed. In the rice areas with high and
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medium exposure, trainings were conducted on rice production using varieties suited to flooded conditions.
While in the areas of coconuts and bananas with high and medium exposure, off-farm livelihood training
(fruits and food processing) was conducted.

Figure 2. Exposure to flooding hazard of the top agricultural produce: (a) rice, (b) abaca, (c) coconuts, (d) bamboo,
and (e) banana in Libacao, Aklan, Philippines.
Another dimension considered in vulnerability assessments is sensitivity. It refers to the degree to
which a system is affected, either adversely or beneficially, by a hazard [17]. Some crops may be more sensitive
to changes in rainfall or water availability, which makes them more vulnerable to the impacts of flooding.
Sensitivity indicators utilized in this study include the ratio of farmers with access to climate information, the
ratio of farmers employing sustainable production techniques, and the ratio of farmers with access to
irrigation. Based on the conducted surveys (Table 4), it was revealed that more than half (59.00%) of abaca
farmers had access to climate information. However, less than half (46.67%) of them reported not employing
sustainable production techniques. Furthermore, a significant (p<0.05) number of them do not have access to
irrigation. Abaca is considered a less water-intensive crop. However, extended dry spells could harm
production and farmer livelihoods, reducing their ability to adjust. For bamboos, more than half have access
to climate information (57.73%) and were employing sustainable production techniques (50.91%). Conversely,
none of them have access to irrigation. The lack of an irrigation system during critical growth periods of
bamboo will limit their ability to manage water stress, hence affecting their overall ability to respond to climate
variability. About 46.25% of banana farmers have access to climate information for their production, and about
51.88% of the banana farmers employ sustainable production techniques. Also, none of them have access to
irrigation for their crops. Their adaptive capacity is naturally diminished by this reliance on natural rainfall,
which could result in significant crop losses during dry seasons. As for coconuts, a high number of them
(60.36%) have access to climate information.
On the other hand, only around 40.71% of coconut farmers were employing sustainable production
techniques, and none of them had access to irrigation. Despite its resilient, prolonged exposure to dry spells,
it constrains their overall adaptive capacity. Abaca, bamboo, banana, and coconut farmers do not have access
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to irrigation since these crops do not necessarily require irrigation. Around 65.47% of rice farmers have access
to climate information. Fewer rice farmers were reported to be employing sustainable production practices
(27.00%) and have access to irrigation (20.67%). The limited use of sustainable methods and insufficient
irrigation infrastructure resulted in rice farmers' limited ability to adapt and overall vulnerability. A significant
number (p<0.05) of farmers for abaca, bamboo, banana, coconuts, and rice were dependent on rainfall and
other means of water for their crops since they do not have access to irrigation. These will later result in crop
yield losses, food insecurity (rice, bananas, and coconuts), financial strain, soil degradation, limited early
warning and response effectiveness, and psychological and social impact. It is recommended to do better
extension activities through translating climate data, demonstrating sustainable practices, farmer field schools,
and digital extension. In addition, capacity building for extension workers, strengthening research-extension-farmer
linkages, promoting flood-resilient crop varieties, and rainwater harvesting are suggested for adaptive capacity.
Table 3. Different crops, barangays, annual average output per hectare, exposed area, and exposed value
Annual Average Output
Exposed
Crops Barangay per hectare (Philippine Exposed Area (ha)
Value (Php)
peso (Php) per ha)
Rice (High Exposure) Calacabian 100,000.00 20 2,000,000.00
Pampamgo 33,600 50 1,680,000.00
Calamcam 2,184,000.00 47.48 103,685,400.00
Ortega 36,000 45 1,620,000.00
Rivera 107,500 22.2 2,386,500.00
Loctuga 65,000 25 1,625,000.00
Rice (Medium Pinonoy 120,000 15 1,800,000.00
Exposure) Manika 70,160 0.3 21,048.00
Casit-an 85,680 11 942,480.00
Coconuts (High Pampango 17,280 10 172,800.00
Exposure) Loctuga 15,000 5 75,000.00
Ortega 25,000 57 1,425,000.00
Rivera 93,296 2 186,592.00
Coconuts (Medium Casit-an 30,000 5 150,000.00
Exposure)
Bananas (High Pampango 40,800 25 1,020,000.00
Exposure) Pinonoy 5,000 1 5,000
Calacabian 15,000 1 15,000
Bananas (Medium Casit-an 10,000 5 50,000.00
Exposure)

Table 4. Sensitivity indicators for the top agricultural produce of Libacao, Aklan, Philippines.
Parameter* Abaca Bamboo Banana Coconut Rice
Access to climate information (%)
With 59.00 ± 27.66a 57.73 ± 34.74a 46.25 ± 28.75a 60.36 ± 28.32a 64.47 ± 24.97a
Without 41.00 ± 27.66a 42.27 ± 34.74a 53.75 ± 28.75a 39.64 ± 28.32a 35.53 ± 28.74a
Employing sustainable production techniques (%)
Yes 46.67 ± 41.52a 50.91 ± 43.92a 51.88 ± 45.19a 40.71 ± 38.92a 27.00 ± 28.90a
No 53.33 ± 41.52a 49.09 ± 43.92a 48.13 ± 45.19a 59.29 ± 38.92a 73.00 ± 28.90b
Access to irrigation (%)
With 0.00 ± 0.00a 0.00 ± 0.00a 0.00 ± 0.00a 0.00 ± 0.00a 20.67 ± 36.93a
Without 100.00 ± 0.00b 100.00 ± 0.00b 100.00 ± 0.00b 100.00 ± 0.00b 79.33 ± 36.93b
* means with different letters in each section per crop are significantly different from each other (p<0.05)
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Adaptive capacity is another important dimension considered in vulnerability assessments. Adaptive

capacity refers to the ability of a being or a system to adjust to the impacts of a hazard [17] or evolve [18] to
accommodate environmental hazards and neutralize potential damages, or to take advantage of opportunities
of planning to expand its range of variability for coping [16]. Access to financing, such as crop insurance,
availability of alternative livelihoods, and access to government extension programs, were chosen as adaptive
capacity indicators for this study. Access to crop insurance provided by the Philippine Crop Insurance
Corporation (PCIC) program, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the Department of Agriculture (DA),
agricultural cooperatives, and others was based on the conducted HH, FGDs, and the data provided by PCIC.
Shown in Table 4 are the mentioned adaptive capacity indicators for the study. It was reported that crop
insurance was available through PCIC, DA, PCA, and the Libacao Cooperative. Also, alternative livelihoods
mentioned included backyard gardening, poultry, livestock, cash for work, and others. Furthermore, there
were several government extension programs available provided by DA, Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI), and Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) which include programs
such as Abaca Trainings, Farm Schools, Food Processing Trainings, Livestock Trainings, Vegetable Farming
Trainings, and Sustainable Livelihood Programs.
Table 4. Adaptive capacity indicators for the top agricultural produce of Libacao, Aklan, Philippines.

Crop Access to financing Alternative livelihood Government extension programs

Abaca Crop Insurance Backyard Gardening and Abaca Trainings, Farm Schools, Food
(PCIC, DA, Libacao Poultry, Cash for work, Processing Trainings, Livestock
Cooperative) Livestock, SAP, Trainings, Vegetable Farming
Sustainable Livelihood by Trainings, Sustainable Livelihood
DOLE and DSWD, and Program by DSWD
Vegetable seedlings
Bamboo Crop Insurance Backyard Gardening and Farm Schools, Food Processing
(PCIC and DA) Poultry, Cash for work, Trainings, Livestock Trainings,
Livestock, SAP, Vegetable Farming Trainings,
Sustainable Livelihood by Sustainable Livelihood Program by
DOLE and DSWD, and DSWD
Vegetable seedlings
Banana Crop Insurance Backyard Gardening and Food Processing Trainings, Livestock
(PCIC and DA) Poultry, Cash for work, Trainings, Vegetable Farming
Livestock, Sustainable Trainings, Sustainable Livelihood
Livelihood by DOLE and Program by DSWD
DSWD, and Vegetable
seedlings
Coconut Crop Insurance Backyard Gardening and Farm Schools, Food Processing
(PCIC, PCA, DA, Poultry, Cash for work, Trainings, Livestock Trainings,
Libacao Cooperative) Livestock, SAP, Vegetable Farming Trainings,
Sustainable Livelihood by Sustainable Livelihood Program by
DOLE and DSWD, and DSWD
Vegetable seedlings
Rice Crop Insurance Backyard Gardening and Abaca Trainings, Farm Schools, Food
(PCIC, DA, Libacao Poultry, Cash for work, Processing Trainings, Livestock
Cooperative) Livestock, SAP, Trainings, Vegetable Farming
Sustainable Livelihood by Trainings, Sustainable Livelihood
DOLE and DSWD, and Program by DSWD
Vegetable seedlings
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Vulnerability assessment is a valuable tool to identify systems that are at risk of a hazard. In terms of
agriculture, it can help in identifying the areas and crops that are at risk of a hazard, such as flooding in the
case of this study. By factoring in the different dimensions of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity into
the consideration, these assessments help give a better understanding of the risk and vulnerabilities posed to
these agricultural systems or crops.

Figure 3. Vulnerability to flooding of the top agricultural produce: (a) rice, (b) abaca, (c) coconuts, (d) bamboo,
and (e) banana in Libacao, Aklan, Philippines.

For rice, seven barangays were identified to have a very high vulnerability, namely: Calacabian,
Calamcam, Casit-an, Loctuga, Pampango, Pinonoy, and Rivera (Fig. 3a). Likewise, the barangays of Manika
and Oyang were identified to be highly vulnerable, while Julita was evaluated to have a medium vulnerability.
On the other hand, the four barangays of Guadalupe, Janlud, Magugba, and Ortega were identified to have
low vulnerability, while Dalagsaan had a very low vulnerability. When it comes to abaca (Fig. 3b), the three
barangays of Calamcam, Ortega, and Pampango were identified as having medium vulnerability. The other
barangays planting abaca had very low vulnerabilities, as follows: Calacabian Casit-an, Dalagsaan,
Guadalupe, Janlud, Julita, Loctuga, Magugba, Manika, Oyang, Pinonoy, and Rivera. Additionally, Casit-an,
LeLoctuga, Pampango, and Rivera were assessed to be very highly vulnerable for coconuts (Fig. 3c). Also,
Calacabian and Pinonoy were highly vulnerable. The barangays of Calamcam, Julita, and Ortega were
assessed to have a medium vulnerability. Moreover, the five barangays of Guadalupe, Janlud, Magugba,
Manika, and Oyang were identified to have low vulnerabilities. Shown in Figure 3d are the different levels of
vulnerability of bamboo in terms of the flooding hazard. It was identified that only Pampango had a medium
vulnerability. Magugba and Rivera had low vulnerability. Furthermore, the remaining barangays identified
had very low vulnerability, namely: Calacabian, Casit-an, Dalagsaan, Guadalupe, Julita, Manika, Oyang, and
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Pinonoy. Lastly, for bananas (Fig. 3e), four barangays were identified to have very high vulnerability. These
were the barangays of Calacabian, Casit-an, Pampango, and Pinonoy. On the other hand, the remaining
barangays of Dalagsaan, Guadalupe, Magugba, and Oyang had very low vulnerability.

4. Conclusions
Rice production in the areas of Calacabian, Calamcam, Casit-an, Loctuga, Pampango, Pinonoy, and
Rivera was highly vulnerable. Also, for coconuts, Casit-an, Loctuga, Pampango, and Rivera were assessed to
be very highly vulnerable. For bananas, the barangays of Calacabian, Casit-an, Pampango, and Pinonoy were
identified to have very high vulnerability. Identifying vulnerable areas for specific crops will be beneficial for
Local Government Units (LGUs), policymakers, and planners in preparing and adapting to measures for
flooding events. Henceforth, initiatives to increase the coping capacity of communities to such events may be
included in the local government’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (LDRRMP) and Local
Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP).

5. Acknowledgements
The study acknowledges everyone who has contributed to this research, particularly the consulted
local experts, the Local Government Unit of Libacao, Aklan, the Barangay Officials of selected barangays, and
the farmer household survey respondents.
Funding: This research was funded by the COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHED) and the
support of the Aklan State University.
Conflicts of Interest: The author declares no conflict of interest.

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