DUMAGUETE CITY – Hundreds of farmers, fisherfolk, and media practitioners attended an orientation on the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation’s (PCIC) programs to benefit the agriculture sector, particularly on free insurance as the agency updates its listing for Region 7.
The activity Wednesday at a hotel here aims to provide the agriculture sector stakeholders with updates on the PCIC’s programs, as the agency has already opened its extension office in this capital city.
During the orientation, the PCIC discussed how the farmers and fishermen can avail of the free insurance offered by the government in some programs implemented by the said agency.
The PCIC is presently accounting for all the farmers and fishermen in Negros Oriental and the whole of Region 7 because the present registered number is not realistic.
For Region 7, the listing as of December 31, 2017 is only about 249,040, the biggest number of which comes from Cebu with 128,629, followed by Negros Oriental with 65,206, next is Bohol with 52,374 and Siquijor with 2,831, records showed.
Antonio Uy II, PCIC vice president for corporate business affairs group, and who is supervising Regions 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 disclosed during the opening of the PCIC extension office in Dumaguete early this week that the subsidy exposure for the insurance of crops like rice, corn, high value crops, livestock, fisheries, credit and life term as well as non-crop agricultural assets was PHP 6,693.246 billion while the premiums granted was only about PHP353 million.
These include the regular program, the APCP program, PUNLA, DA SIKAT-SAKA and the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
Under RSBSA, Negros Oriental can only account for 60,843 farmers with an exposure of PHP 1,295.308 billion while the premium is only PHP 108.9 million.
The first district has the most number of farmers registered with 36,214, the second district with 14,772, and the third district with 14,220 farmers registered last year, which is not the real situation, according to the PCIC.
With this, the PCIC Region 7 is tasked to locate all the farmers and fisherfolk to be aware of these programs because government is giving them a lot of money for free provided they register.
Farmers and fishermen from Basay to Canlaon City in Negros Oriental are urged to register so they can avail of free insurance.
According to Uy, a lot of farmers failed to register last year because during the survey while names of farm workers are available.
As a result, the Department of Budget and Management has authorized the Department of Agriculture to submit another list but while waiting for the new list, the old listing will prevail.
Uy assured farmers and fisherfolk alike that under a new technology, insurance claims will be made easy because adjusters are now equipped with tablets so that data gathered will immediately be encoded in the regional level. Instead of 30 days, check preparation up to its release can be finished in five days or so.
Farmers may opt to insure themselves under a renewable term insurance while insurance for crops and livestock is given for free.
On the part of the Land Bank of the Philippines, small farmers who have no collaterals can avail of loans provided they are listed in the registry system for basic sectors in agriculture.
PCIC regional director Crescencio Deligero, Jr. has directed agriculture and veterinary officers in his area of jurisdiction to double their efforts to account for farmers and fishermen in their respective cities and municipalities so no one will be left behind in the availment of the free agriculture insurance to crops, livestock, and to include fishing gears that will be damaged during typhoons and other calamities.
If not in the list, farmers and fishermen alike may ask for an endorsement from their respective agriculture officers.
The program is open up to 2022. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
