PCIC, DA launch insurance program

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently launched the Subsidized Agricultural Insurance program for the Priority Provinces (SAIP-PP).

Rodelia Pagaddu, PCIC Region 2 Marketing and Sales Division chief, said there are 20 priority provinces identified for coverage by the Department of Budget and Management, which include Kalinga, Ifugao and Apayao.

From the total of P1,183,771,000 government premium subsidy appropriated for the program, P50,350,000 was allocated for the Cordillera.

From said amount, P19.519 million is expected to benefit 3,467 identified farmers in Apayao tilling 4,961,620 hectares of farm lands; P15.193 million for 2,720 farmers in Kalinga covering a total of 3,631,400 hectares, and a total of P15.638 million will go to the identified 2,183 farmers of Ifugao working on a total of 2,788,410 hectares of land.

The program is mandated through the General Appropriations Act of 2014 with government granting PCIC Government Premium Subsidy for the free insurance premiums to farmer-beneficiaries in the 20 priority provinces.

Illegible Insurance Policies, Pagaddu said, include Rice Crop Insurance, Corn Crop Insurance, High Value Commercial Crop Insurance, Livestock Insurance, and Non-crop Agricultural Assets Insurance.

The maximum coverage for crops is three hectares. Livestock is covered under the non-commercial mortality cover category for cattle and carabao for a maximum of three animals while non-crop assets covers a maximum of three agricultural equipments being used in the farm.

Qualified farmers must be registered in the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture and they must not be receiving any other subsidy for the same type of insurance from the local government.

Farmers must also be certified subsistence or marginalized and they must be residing in the identified priority provinces.

According to Pagaddu, crop insurance gained popularity due to the occurrence of damaging calamities and effects of climatic changes such as drought which has affected mostly the marginalized farmers.

She said national government saw the need to assist the farmers who are considered the country’s foundation of economy to be more resilient by subsidizing their crop insurance to help them cope or recover losses from natural calamities, plant diseases and plant pest infestations. (Geraldine Dumallig)

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