Bontoc, Mountain Province- The Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMAg) is encouraging the farmers and fisherfolks to apply for the free crop, livestock, and non- crop agricultural assets insurances of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
Assistant Municipal Agriculturist Catherine Agcon made this announcement during the 3rd Quarter Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) meeting on August 10, 2022, when she reported the agricultural damages caused by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that jolted Abra and other areas in Northern Luzon.
According to Agcon, their office received damages on rice crops, corn, high value crops (sugarcane, banana, and squash), rice granaries, and livestock.
Meanwhile, per report from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDDRMO), agricultural damages as of August 4, 2022 reached to P3, 402,161.80. This covers livestock and poultry damages amounting to P345, 000.00 and agricultural assets reaching P3, 057,161.80.
Relative to the report, she explained that the PCIC, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) offers insurance program for rice, high value commercial crop, fisheries, livestock and non-crop agricultural assets such as equipment and machineries. The insurance is an assistance extended to farmers and fisher folks to protect their farm against possible losses due to natural calamities and other forms of agricultural risks such as attack of pests and diseases.
With this, she is urging the farmers and fisherfoks to apply for the insurance which is free of charge, adding that the insurance claim that an applicant may receive from the PCIC is dependent on the verification and assessment of the damage/loss crop or livestock.
However, Agcon clarified that their office is only in charge of assisting an applicant to fill-in the application form. The interview, assessment and approval of the insurance assistance of an applicant shall be conducted by the PCIC.
Considering that there is no office of the PCIC in Bontoc, an applicant may get a copy of the application form and submit the same at the OMAg which its office located at the 3rd Floor of the Bontoc Municipal Capitol. Likewise, the OMAg may respond to queries of interested applicants about the program as it has it has always been the partner of the PCIC in assisting clients of the required documents.
Bontoc Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., who also chairs the MDRRMC, is encouraging the farmers and fisherfolks to avail of the free insurance being offered by the PCIC especially that the program covers farmers’ crops and livestock damaged by diseases, pest infestation, and natural calamities, such as typhoons, floods, drought, tornados, and earthquakes.
“We pray that we will not be affected by man-made and natural calamities, but should it be inevitable, the insurance program is a big help to farmers and fisherfolks because it guarantees a return on their investment so they can start over again,” Tudlong added.
From January to June 2022, there are 213 farmers and fisherfolks who applied of the insurance program. ** Alpine L. Killa- Malwagay, Bontoc LGU
