The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) organized a Farmers’ Forum last 1 April 2011 at the Bahia Function Hall, Brgy. Sabang, Baler, Aurora with Philippine Senator Edgardo J. Angara delivering the Keynote Address.  Senator Angara was previously the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (1999 to 2001) and Senate Committee Chairman on Agriculture (2007 to 2010).

Entitiled “Crop Credit and Crop Insurance Toward Coping with Climate Change,” the Farmers’ Forum was organized by the officers and staff of Region III-A led by Regional Manager Manuel B. Jucutan and Division Chief Melba Manalo.  Present during the forum were the officers from the head office led by PCIC President Atty. Jovy C. Bernabe and Acting SVP Norman R. Cajucom.  A total of 140 farmers from the various municipalities of Aurora attended the one day affair.

Discussing the impact and how to cope with climate change were:  Dr. Steve C. Godilano, Senior Technical Adviser for the Climate Change & Geospatial Technology under the Department of Agriculture (DA), Mr. Dennis Dela Torre, Division Chief, Research and Documentation Division of the Climate Change Commission, and Miss Perla G. Baltazar, Program Development Officer of the DA. They spoke on The Science of Climate Change (specific for Aurora Province), National Framework Strategy for Climate Change and the DA Policy Thrust and Implementation Program on Climate Change, respectively.

Other speakers during the forum include Mr. Arnold Novicio, the Provincial Pest Control Officer, who spoke on Prevention and Control Pests and Diseases, and Ms. Myrna Balingit and Mr. Julio Batalla from the PCIC Region III-A who spoke about the PCIC Products and Services. Representatives from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Baler Branch, Aurora Bank and Alalay sa Kaunlaran (ASKI) spoke on various crop credit available for farmers.

Similar farmers’ forum and related activities are being organized all over the country as part of the continuing information and dissemination campaign to promote the crop insurance products and services of PCIC to marginalized farmers and fisherfolks.