The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Republic of the Philippines launched a new project to support rural communities, particularly those in the vulnerable uplands, at an event at the Department of Finance in Manila last week. The Value Chain Innovation for Sustainable Transformation in Agrarian Reform Communities project, or VISTA, aims to reduce poverty, increase food security, and protect the country's fragile ecosystems.

In a video message, IFAD Vice-President Geraldine Mukeshimana congratulated the country team and the government. “Lives and communities will be positively transformed by the work that we begin here today. We thank our partners in the Philippines government for their continued efforts in advancing sustainable agriculture and rural development progress. I look forward to seeing the outcomes and impacts of our joint efforts,” she said.

Secretary Conrado Estrella, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Philippines, said that VISTA would help pave the way for economic stability and peace and order in the regions it reached. The DAR is the key implementing partner for the project.