CROP INSURANCE. Ninety-four rice and corn farmers in Las Nieves town, Agusan del Norte province, receive indemnity payments from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation on Thursday (Jan. 26, 2023). The farmers, whose crops were damaged by pestilence in 2022, received a total of PHP447,699 payments. (Photo courtesy of Jemuel Madelo)
BUTUAN CITY – At least 94 rice and corn farmers from the different barangays of Las Nieves in Agusan del Norte received indemnity payments from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), an official said Friday.
In a statement, Las Nieves Mayor Karen Rosales thanked the PCIC for facilitating the release of the indemnity pay of the affected farmers on Thursday.
“The local government of Las Nieves, through the local agriculture office, has been urging our farmers to insure their crops to the PCIC,” Rosales said.
The farmers, whose tilled lands were damaged by pests last year, received a total of PHP447,699 indemnity pay from the PCIC.
The mayor noted that farming nowadays entails more risks due to unforeseen events and the threats of calamities, such as flooding, aside from infestations.
Among the recipient was Juliana Pondog from Barangay San Roque who expressed gratitude to the government for the indemnity she received.
“My family is thankful to the government. The pestilence last year destroyed most of our rice farm,” Pondog said.
She said her family will utilize the payment to settle the remaining tax account of their farmland.
Meanwhile, Paul Rey Gonzales, the Las Nieves municipal rice program coordinator, said the release of indemnity pay demonstrated the importance of insuring the crops of farmers in the area.
“We always emphasize in our campaigns the importance of the PCIC program to our farmers,” he said.
The PCIC is mandated to provide insurance protection to farmers against losses from natural calamities, plant diseases, and pest infestations.
The government’s insurance program covers palay and corn crops, among others. (PNA)
