The main season maize in the Philippines is harvested in September, together with the gradual harvest of the main season rice. Subsequently, the second-season rice and second-season maize are planted. During the monitoring period, there was a slight 3% (RAIN) increase in precipitation in the Philippines, and the average temperature rose by approximately 0.3°C (TEMP), while radiation decreased by about 2% (RADPAR). Continuous overcast weather resulted in a potential biomass decrease of around 2% (BIOMASS). Excessive precipitation in mid to late July and continuous overcast conditions caused cloud cover in the satellite images, which explains the sharp decline in NDVI. However, crop conditions appear unaffected and remain stable. The Philippines' VCIx reached as high as 0.95, while the CALF was close to 100%. The crop production index was 0.99 (CPI), and the cropping intensity was 137% (CI). Considering both the agro-climatic and agronomic indicators in the Philippines, it is estimated that the overall crop conditions were normal.

Regional analysis

Based on the cropping systems, climatic zones, and topographic conditions, three main agroecological regions can be distinguished for the Philippines. They are the Forest region (mostly southern and western islands), the Hilly region (Island of Bohol, Sebu and Negros), and the Lowlands region (northern islands).

In the Forest region (agro-ecological zone 153), there was an 8% (RAIN) increase in precipitation, a rise of about 0.3°C (TEMP) in average temperature, and a decrease of around 4% (RADPAR) in radiation, with potential biomass (BIOMASS) approaching normal levels. Consistent with the national level NDVI trend, the crop NDVI in this region experienced a decline in mid to late July, subsequently remaining slightly below average. By the end of the monitoring period, the crop NDVI had recovered to average levels. However, the lower NDVI was primarily due to interference from continuous overcast conditions on satellite imagery. The VCIx in this region reached as high as 0.95, with the CALF close to 100%. The Crop Production Index is 1.00 (CPI), and the Cropping Intensity slightly increased by 1% (CI). The overall crop conditions were normal in this region.

In the Hilly region (agro-ecological zone 154), there was an 11% (RAIN) increase in precipitation, a slight decrease of 0.1°C (TEMP) in average temperature, and a 3% (RADPAR) reduction in radiation. The lower temperatures and reduced sunlight contributed to a decrease of approximately 2% (BIOMASS) in potential biomass, indicating slightly unfavorable weather conditions for crop growth in this region. The crop NDVI fluctuated significantly due to the influence of precipitation and cloud cover, with the most notable decline occurring in mid to late July. The VCIx in this region reached as high as 0.97, with the Crop Production Index at 1.00 (CPI), and the Cropping Intensity slightly decreasing by 1% (CI). The overall crop conditions were normal in this region.

In the Lowlands region (agro-ecological zone 155), there was a 2% (RAIN) decrease in precipitation, with radiation (RADPAR) maintaining normal levels and an average temperature higher by approximately 0.3°C (TEMP). The lower precipitation resulted in a potential biomass decrease of about 1% (BIOMASS) compared to the average. The growth trend of NDVI in this region indicates that the elevated precipitation seemed to have had an adverse impact on the crop's NDVI, keeping it consistently below average. Although the impact of precipitation was temporary, with the crop NDVI quickly recovering to slightly below-average levels, the significantly elevated precipitation in mid to late July was unfavorable for the harvest of main-season maize. The VCIx in this region was as high as 0.95, with the Crop Production Index at 0.99 (CPI), and the Cropping Intensity was slightly lower by 3% (CI). It is estimated that the production of main-season rice in this region was normal.

Figure 3.35 Philippines' crop condition, July- October,2023

(a) Phenology of major crops

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI                     (c) Maximum VCI

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA                                   (e) NDVI profile

(f) Time series temperature profile (left) and rainfall profile (right)

(g) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left) and time series rainfall profile (right) in Forest region

(h) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left) and time series rainfall profile (right) in the Hilly region

(i) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (left) and time series rainfall profile (right) in the Lowland region

Table 3.41 Philippines's agro-climatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values, and departure from 15YA, July- October 2023

Table 3.42 Philippines' agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values, and departure from 5YA, July– October 2023