GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) has released some PHP27.6 million in insurance compensation or indemnity to farmers and fisherfolk in Sarangani province, who were affected by calamities and crop infestations since last year.
Bonifacio Pales, PCIC-Region 11 manager, said Thursday that they already served a total of 2,176 farmers from the province’s seven municipalities, through insurance claims for the validated crop and livestock losses.
In 2018, he said they released a total of PHP24.8 million in crop insurance compensation to 2,014 farmers and fishermen.
From Jan. 1 to the second week of March, he said they already assisted at least 162 individuals and released a total indemnity of PHP2.8 million.
The compensation was under the PCIC’s term insurance packages for production losses covering palay, corn, high-value crops, fishery and livestock.
“We’re currently processing some pending claims and at the same time working on the enrolment of more farmers and fishermen so they can also avail of these benefits,” he said in a statement.
He said they have tapped the municipal agriculture offices, through the field agricultural technicians, to assist in the enrollment of qualified individuals to the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA).
PCIC has also opened an extension office at the Sarangani provincial capitol to cater to enrollees and process crop insurance claims, he said.
Pales said it is important for local farmers and fishermen to be properly registered with the RSBSA so they can be covered by interventions in line with the effects of the continuing dry spell triggered by El Niño.
The official said the agency does not collect any amount for the registration or enrollment, as it has allotted premium subsidies for those qualified.
“They only need to register and we will evaluate whether they are legitimate farmers and fishermen,” he said.
As directed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, he said the PCIC will provide insurance benefits to crops and non-crop agricultural assets that will be affected by various calamities.
Pales said the insurance coverage includes planted crops, farm implements, livestock, fishing boats, fishponds and fish cages.
He said the PCIC will indemnify the enrolled farmers and fishermen based on the percentage of the validated losses to crops and production input cost.
“This will enable them to recover from their losses and allow them to start again,” he added.
Although a part of Region 12 or Soccksargen, Sarangani and South Cotabato provinces remained under the operational coverage of PCIC Region 11, which has office in Koronadal City.
The two areas were previously under the administrative coverage of Region 11, along with the Davao provinces.
