Sinag hits D.A’s Crop Insurance tiny recipients

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 ROSALES, Pangasinan – The leader of the national agriculture industry assailed the minuscule benefits given by the Philippines Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) to farmers devastated by the series of cyclones and flash floods that barreled Northern Luzon. 
Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) Chairman Rosendo So disputed the remarks to reporters by Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol when he visited Pangasinan last July 27 this year that more Filipinos have been beneficiaries of the PCIC under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte than his predecessor former President Benigno Aquino, III. 

CHARGES - Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) Chairman Rosendo So (photo above) and Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol have conflicting views how the Philippines Crop Insurance Corporation give benefits to the farmers.

So told this paper that the Duterte Administration was lethargic compared to the financial aid the Aquino Administration had given to the afflicted farmers in Northern Luzon. 
“Ang sabi ni secretary noon sa Pangasinan may Crop Insurance. Bakit ngayon e pagtanungin mo doon sa mga magsasaka. Wala naman silang na insured na ni check natin sa mga Municipal Agriculturist Officers iyong mga kayang ma insured ten to fifteen percent lang,” the chairman stressed. 

Aside from the ten to fifteen percent sluggish coverage to the peasants, So said that he will ask congress to help increase the funding of the insurance coverage of the farmers. 
“So nakita natin na kulang talaga iyong pondo for Crop Insurance. Siguro ito ay hingin natin sa senado sa susunod para at least sa senado sa congreso para tulungan ang mga magsasaka natin”.
 When asked by this writer that farmers in Northern Luzon did not benefit on the Crop Insurance under the administration of President Duterte compared to his predecessor President Aquino, a piqued Piñol disputed the statement of the Sinag chairman by saying "he should read". 
 “Puede ba naman mawala iyong crop insurance. Kung may crop insurance noong araw may crop insurance din ngayon. Mas lalong lumakas ngayon grabe ang coverage namin ngayon ng crop insurance ngayon”. 
  
Prior to that remarks by Piñol, So told this paper last June that during the administration of Aquino many farmers in Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac who were devastated by typhoons and pestilences received remuneration from the crop insurance. 
 
"Panahon ni Aquino may subsidy doon, tinutulungan I think ng Crop Insurance sila mas active kaysa ngayon. Iyon ang tingin natin, itong suporta ng government I think sa Nueva Ecija high breed nila tinamaan uli iyong high breed pumalpak. Sabi na natin kay Secretary (Manny Pinol) bakit ka mag high breed kung in-import natin iyan high breed seeds baka hindi tama sa klima dito. Hindi sila naniwala, di ba? Ang Nueva Ecija nag complain ngayon marami pumalpak, imported iyon, e! Ang sinabi natin, dapat tingnan mabuti muna iyong programa".

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation is a government owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) created by law and amended by RA 8175 in December 29, 1995, as the implementing agency of the government’s agricultural insurance program. PCIC is an attached agency of the D.A.The PCIC’s principal mandate is to provide insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases and pest infestations of their palay and corn crops as well as other crops.