The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) has paid out an initial amount of P6.61 Million to Southern Luzon farmers who suffered damages from the extreme “habagat” or southwest monsoon rains and typhoon Gener that hit the country in August.

The payout was made to organized farmers who are members of 11 cooperatives operating in Laguna and Occidental Mindoro.   The group payments ranged from a low of some P58,000 to a high of P2.51 Million

In Laguna,  the recipient-cooperatives along with the payments they received were as  follows:   Samahang Magsasaka sa Gatid, P196,222;  Calamba Rice Growers Multipurpose Cooperative, P277,782;   Sentrong Ugnayan ng mga Mamamayang Pilipino,  P104,398;   New Batong Malaki Public Market Multi-Purpose Cooperative, P58,435;  NIA Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative P1.55 Million;   Rural Bank of Mabitac-Siniloan, P287,561;   Nora Barayang General Merchandise,  P220,941;   Agri-Product Market Link Coop,  P70,519;  and Tulay sa Pag-unlad, Inc., P675,235,  for its branches in Los Banos, Sta. Cruz and Siniloan.

In Occidental Mindoro, the recipient-cooperatives were the Mindoro Progressive Multipurpose Cooperative, P662,572;  and San Miguel Multi-purpose Cooperative, P2.51 Million.

The PCIC recently mounted an awarding ceremony for these indemnity payments in Greenhills, San Juan City. It was attended by PCIC officials and representatives of the beneficiary cooperatives.

The extreme habagat and typhoon Gener dumped record rains, particularly in Luzon, damaging the standing crops of insured farmers.