PCIC approved P33 million

rice insurance claims in '17 

TAGBILARAN CITY, March 27 (PIA)--We may not know it, but the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) has approved the payment of over P 33 million in claims for damages to their rice fields in 2017. 

The claims were indemnity entitlements to 3,112 farmers who obtained insurance premiums for 3,839.35 hectares of rice farms covered from the emergence of seed growth or from transplanting to harvesting starting from the issuance of PCIC certificate of coverage. 

PCIC is a government owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) whose main task is to implement the government’s agricultural insurance program. 

An agency attached at the Department of Agriculture, PCIC main mandate is to provide insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases and pest infestations of their palay and corn crops as well as other crops. 

Then based in Cebu, the PCIC has opened two extension offices in Bohol, making the service closer to Boholano farmers needing security and insurance for their crops which are in constant threat to the changing climate and more frequent storms. 

With Bohol getting hit by numerous typhoons in 2017, farmers who think they should be afforded a system of recovering from the potential losses during natural calamities, plant disease and pest infestation have come to the PCIC, despite the fact that the office was then in Cebu. 

According to the PCIC in their rice crop insurance program, farmers who grow seed varieties accredited from production by the National Seed Industry Council and whose tilled lots are not part of a riverbed, lakebed, marshland, shore line or river bank can avail of the insurance program. 

The insurance policy, which payments is to be shared by the farmer, a lending institution and the government can covering for multiple risks or natural calamities and can be for borrowing partners or self-finance schemes. 

In 2017 in Bohol for example, 558 farmers from Dagohoy had P 7,758,094.00 in approved claims, the biggest for a town in Bohol. 

The amount represents the indemnities for 558 farmers from the entire year's cropping season, PCIC 2017 Rice Approved Claims in Bohol showed. 

About 480 rice farmers of Pilar too filed for claims amounting to P 6,787, 445.00 for damaged rice crops in 669.4 hectares for the year. 

Next biggest rice insurance claim in 2017 is Alicia, whose 346 farmers claimed indemnities worth P4,581,124.00 representing losses in 506.42 hectares. 

Then coming next at fourth is Catigbian whose 634 farmers tilling 634.08 hectares claimed P3,871, 148.00 for their year-long losses. 

Typhoons in 2017 also ruined over 345 hectares of rice farms in Ubay, prompting insured farmers to file claims of P 3,791, 061. 

On the other hand, for the same year, 188 famers of San Miguel town lost their rice crop planted in 309 hectares; their consolidated claims amounted to P 2,675, 455.00. 

Of the 32 towns whose farmers grew rice and had them insured, PCIC approved the claims amounting to P33,465, 594.00, according to PCIC. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)