DA, PhilSA harness space technology to boost food security

Author: DA Press Office | 15 September 2026

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) are turning to satellites and artificial intelligence to help the government spot farm damage faster, improve irrigation planning, and protect food production from floods, droughts and other climate risks.

The agencies formalized a five-year collaboration to use Earth observation, geospatial information and space-based technology for agriculture, fisheries, disaster response, and climate-resilient planning.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the partnership would bridge the gap between what satellites see from above and what farmers experience on the ground.

"From space, a satellite can see a flood. From the ground, a farmer sees a lost harvest. Our job is to connect those two views," Tiu Laurel said.

Under the framework, the DA and PhilSA will explore satellite-based tools for monitoring crop conditions, mapping floods and droughts, assessing irrigation resources, forecasting yields and identifying areas vulnerable to agricultural damage.

The technology could also help track pests and diseases, assess soil conditions, monitor fisheries and identify potentially productive fishing and aquaculture areas.

the bigger payoff is turning data into decisions that can be made earlier and more precisely, Tiu Laurel said.

"Definitely, we are not sending our farmers to space," he said, injecting some levity into the discussion. "What we are bringing down from space is information, technology, and better tools for decision-making."

The secretary also pointed to a less obvious use of satellite data, that of turning some floodwaters from a hazard into an agricultural resource.

By mapping where water naturally flows and accumulates, the government could identify areas where excess water might be captured and stored for use during the dry season, potentially linking flood management more closely with irrigation planning.

"Some of the water we now see as a hazard could become an agricultural resource," Tiu Laurel said.

PhilSA will provide satellite data and technical expertise, including the acquisition, processing and analysis of Earth observation information. The DA will gather field data, validate satellite-based assessments and integrate remote sensing, geographic information systems and climate and hazard monitoring into agricultural programs.

The DA plans to mobilize field validators nationwide to conduct ground-truthing of satellite-generated information on the ground, helping enhance the accuracy and reliability of satellite-based assessments.

"No matter how advanced our satellites become, we still need someone on the ground to confirm that what we see is, indeed, a farm," Tiu Laurel said.

The agencies will also share and validate maps and datasets covering crop production, irrigation, droughts, floods and disaster impacts.

The framework does not involve a transfer of funds, with each agency covering its own incidental expenses unless separate implementing agreements provide otherwise.

For the DA, the partnership is ultimately less about putting agriculture in orbit than bringing space technology down to the farm.

"Ultimately, this is about using technology to strengthen food security and improve the lives of our farmers and fisherfolk," Tiu Laurel said.### (By DA - OSEC Comms)