The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) is asking fishermen and farmers with insured crops to file for indemnity claims to avail of cash aid from their office. /CDN File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Farmers with insured crops and fishermen affected by the El Niño phenomenon can file for indemnity claims with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) to cover for their losses.
“So kinahanglan nga mag-file sila og claims of indemnity. Mao ni giingon nga mga notice of loss, hangyo pagbayad para ma-adjust, maadto sa atong mga insurance adjusters. (They will have to file for indemnity claims. This what we call notice for losses incurred and an appeal for payment so that we could send our insurance adjusters (to verify said claims),” said Paulita Secuya said, OIC on Claims and Adjustment Division of PICC-7.
Secuya said that since January 2019, they already released P77.2 million worth of insurance claims to farmers and fishermen. Of the amount, P51 million was released to 3,610 rice farmers while P16.5 million was given to 1,980 corn farmers in Central Visayas.
In 2018, PCIC-7 released a total of P124.3 million worth of insurance claims.
Read More: El Niño Phenomenon: Cebu province under state of calamity
The agency’s Registered System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) insurance program allows rice farmers to avail of up to P20,000 worth of insurance claims per hectare of farmland and P15,000 for their livestock. A bigger amount of P80,000 is paid for hybrid livestock like milking cows and among others.
RSBSA covers rice, corn, high value crops, livestock, cattle, carabao, goat, swine fattening, swine breeding, horse, non-crop agricultural assets, and fisheries for insurance coverage.
Farmers and fisherfolk in Cebu also get an additional credit and life-term insurance amounting to P50, 000 for accidental death; P2, 000 burial assistance; and 20 percent reimbursement for medical claims. The insurance coverage was subsidized by the Cebu Provincial Government.
Read More: El Niño has affected crops in 7 towns, 2 cities of Cebu; fish kill cases on the rise
Crescencio Deligero, PCIC-7 manager, is urging other farmers to always insure their crops so they could also avail of cash assistance during the hard times.
“Aduna gihapon ta’y gitawag nato nga full subsidy nga insurance program. Mo-ingon ta’g full subsidy, hundred percent ang hinabang sa atong gobyerno or moingon ta nga libre na ron wala nay bayranan (We continue to offer the full subsidy insurance program. Full subsidy because it is the government that pays for their insurance),” Deligero said.
Deligero is asking farmers and fishermen to visit the agriculture offices of the locality where they belong, accredited banks and cooperatives to fill-up the registration forms.
He said that during the first four months of the year, a total of 20,342 farmers and fishermen in the region already availed of their insurance program. There are a total of 293,582 registered farmers and fisherfolks in the region./dcb