2,644 farmers in Bicol receive P24.4M insurance payments

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) provided an initial P24.4 million in insurance payments to more than 2,600 farmers in Bicol region as they are still reeling from the aftermath of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami).

Indemnity checks were distributed to 2,644 farmers in Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate and Sorsogon during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit Camarines Sur on Wednesday.

PCIC president Jovy Bernabe said the government’s insurance company continues to process insurance claims of farmers affected by the typhoon.

READ: Kristine-hit Bicol farmers get P24.4 million in crop insurance payments

The PCIC had estimated that indemnification payments to affected farmers would amount to at least P666.5 million.

Citing its rapid assessment, it said 86,066 farmers across 10 regions were hit by the weather disturbance, primarily from Central Luzon, Bicol and Mimaropa regions.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. had directed the PCIC to fast-track the processing of insurance claims to help insured farmers quickly recover from the adverse impact of Kristine.

“We need to equip our farmers and fisherfolk with financial resources to help them quickly get back on their feet, to recover from this disaster brought about by climate change,” Tiu Laurel said.

Aside from providing indemnification, the Department of Agriculture (DA) likewise provided other assistance to farmers, including farm inputs such as seeds and fertilizers.

So far, Kristine damaged P6.20 billion worth of farm produce and uprooted the livelihood of 143,065 farmers and fishers in 12 regions, based on the DA’s recent bulletin.

Affected regions were Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Soccsksargen and Caraga.

The DA said the storm ravaged 283,528 metric tons of farm produce in 117,509 hectares of agricultural areas.

Rice suffered the worst damage, with losses totaling P4.46 billion. High-value crops and fisheries came next with P865.09 million and P665.01 million, respectively.

READ: DA: Farm losses due to Kristine nears P5B; but still enough rice

The typhoon did not spare agricultural infrastructure, ruining P50.46 million in farm structures and P28 million in irrigation facilities.

Damage was likewise recorded in corn (P74.05 million), cassava (P40.34 million), livestock and poultry (P13.89 million), machineries and equipment (P300,000).

Agriculture assistant secretary Arnel de Mesa said this week that the severe impact of recent typhoons and the El Niño phenomenon on the farm sector is expected to slash the country’s palay output this year.

“We can really expect the output to decline compared to last year because of the extent of damage from El Niño and the series of typhoons before [Severe Tropical Storm] Kristine,” said de Mesa, also the DA’s spokesperson.

“We foresee substantial damage as [Severe Tropical Storm] Kristine adversely hit our major rice-producing regions and areas,” he added.

The DA had revised its projection on its palay production for 2024 downward to 19.41 million metric tons as a result of the El Niño-induced dry spell and successive typhoons that hit the farm sector.