This study aims to track and analyze changes in cropping intensity across the Philippines to understand spatial and temporal patterns of agricultural practice. This analysis uses MODIS Terra surface reflectance data from 2001 to 2024 to derive a nationwide NDVI time series. The data were grouped into 3-year periods (e.g. 2001-2003, 2002-2004) to model dominant crop cycle patterns using Harmonic analysis, and a moving maximum filter was applied to enhance the detection of vegetation peaks. The first derivative of the filtered temporal signal was computed, and sequences of zero slope segments were extracted to represent valid crop cycles. Cropping Intensity (CI) was calculated averaging the detected crop cycles per year, resulting in values of 1, 2, or 3 cycles per year. Results show that 63.7% of land remained stable in its cropping intensity (CI), with double cropping (CI2) accounting for nearly half of stable areas. This dominance reflects the country’s two main cropping seasons, anchored by rice–maize production systems. Intensification (12.6% of transitions) and de- intensification (12.1%) occurred at nearly equal rates, mainly between CI2 and CI3, while 11.7% of transitions involved exchanges with non-cropland, particularly grassland and wetland. Area-based trends highlight further structural shifts. Single cropping declined by nearly 50% over the 24 years, while double cropping, though reduced by 25% since its early-2000s peak, remained the dominant practice, covering ~70% of total crop area. Triple cropping expanded modestly by ~6%, reflecting gradual intensification in select regions. Comparisons with official data show that satellite-derived crop areas (~5.1 Mha) are consistently lower than reported statistics (~7 Mha), reflecting methodological differences between earth observation and survey-based approaches. The results support the use of remote sensing-derived cropping intensity monitoring as a supplementary tool for assessing agricultural dynamics in the country and its potential in guiding sustainable agricultural planning.

This study presents the first Pandora-based validation of Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) measurements in the Philippines, focusing on observations over Quezon City during April 2025. Ground-based Pandora NO₂ data were compared with GEMS Level 2 tropospheric NO₂ products using time matching, cloud fraction filtering, and distance-weighted horizontal representativeness correction. Results show that GEMS consistently underestimated Pandora NO₂ columns, with correlations up to 0.535 for the full month and improving to as high as 0.752 during the elevated pollution episode from April 25–30 under low-cloud conditions. While representativeness of correction slightly improved agreement, systematic underestimation persisted, indicating that retrieval biases are influenced by factors beyond spatial mismatch. The findings highlight the importance of continuous ground-based validation and refinement of satellite NO₂ retrievals, particularly in tropical urban environments. The poster generated interest among conference participants due to its relevance to air quality monitoring in Southeast Asia and its contribution to expanding GEMS validation studies beyond East Asia.

DEW-PH is a drought early warning system in the Philippines, focusing on agricultural drought monitoring and forecasting. With operationalization in mind, the system is continuously improved through ongoing research and development efforts. In October 2025, a study under the DEW-PH/DCAF project titled “Assessment of the 2023–2024 El Niño-Driven Drought Impacts in the Philippines Using a Satellite-Based Combined Drought Index (CDI)” was presented at the 46th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS) in Makassar, Indonesia. The Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS) is Asia’s premier remote sensing event and brings together scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders from over 60 countries to advance geospatial technologies for a sustainable future. The study was presented under the poster session, B7: Application of Remote Sensing, where the study's national research outputs and innovations were not only shared with an international audience, but were also reviewed by experts in the field. This provided valuable feedback that will support the continuous enhancement of the project and help build rapport for potential collaborations in the future.