Negros Oriental farmers can now look forward to have their rice and corn fields including high value crops, livestock and farm equipment and machineries insured with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
This comes following Monday’s signing today of a memorandum of agreement between the PCIC, represented its president, Atty Jovy Bernabe, and the provincial government headed by Gov. Roel Degamo.
Negros Oriental has about 244,613 farmers which were listed in the Registry Sytem for Basic Sector in Agriculture during the 2012 census.
But with only P1.6 billion budgeted for next year all over the country, Negros Oriental is alloted 14,400 farmer beneficiaries even if the enrolment has already reached 33,347 as of October this year, the insurance exposure of which is more than P455 million in case of disasters and calamities.
Norman Cajucom, senior vice president, regional marketing group of PCIC disclosed that in terms of investments, PCIC’s target is P415 million with a generation so far of P535 million worth of farm investments.
Aside from rice and corn, PCIC is fully subsidizing insurance for livestocks which includes poultry, cattle, swine in addition to aqua culture farms, Cajucom pointed out.
This year’s allocation is about P33 milion for Negros Oriental but as of October, more than P54 million have been appropriated and the listing continues, he said.
PCIC president Bernabe told Gov. Degamo, the insurance program hopes to cover 50,000 farmers all over the province while Negros Occidental is already benefiting from the program as early as three years ago.
Two weeks ago, PCIC had extended P1 million to areas hit by El Nino in Occidental Negros, he said.
Gov. Degamo said the MOA signing today sealed off a previous agreement between PCIC to provide for the insurance of Negros Oriental farmers.
To recall, about eight months ago, Gov. Degamo requested for an authority from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for him to sign the memorandum of agreement with PCIC so farmers can avail of the needed help from the national government following the onslaught of typhoons and calamities that hit Negros Oriental.
PCIC regional marketing manager Crescencio Deligero, Jr. has confirmed that the provinces of Cebu, and Bohol were among the first to benefit from the insurance program after the devastations to crops and livestock wrought by several typhoons.
In Negros Oriental, a total of 102 farmers were paid a total of P577,000 in insurance as of October this year. This included coverage of the army worm attack in farmlands of Mabinay affecting more than 30 farmers as well as damage to 16 hectares of upland rice by 22 farmers.
Corn planted in 72 hectares of land has affected 77 farmers from Bayawan, parts of Zamboanguita, and Valencia who were paid P434,000 as insurance claims, Deligero reported.
Also present during the signing are Antonio Uy, vice president for corporate business affairs group, Director Epifanio Maniebo, provincial agriculturist Greg Paltinca, provincial administrator Richard Enojo and provincial veterinarian Nestor Villaflores. (PNA)
