Officials of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently gathered in a national conference to plan the speedy enrolment of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in appropriate agricultural insurance programs.

The two-day planning event was conducted from February 25-26 in the Emiramona Garden Hotel in Tagaytay City.    PCIC’s national and regional officers and officials of DAR’s Bureau of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development (BARBD), numbering around 50,   attended the forum.

The forum yielded regional action plans to implement the joint PCIC-DAR program called the “Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries-Agricultural Insurance Program (ARB-AIP).”

The plans highlighted accurate targeting of beneficiaries, efficient provision of related services,  and the timely and efficient local implementation of the insurance program.

The ARB-AIP  seeks to provide some P17 Billion worth of crop protection insurance for agrarian reform beneficiaries.   Under the program,  over 224,000  ARBs or members of their households farming some 330,000 hectares of land  and raising some 30,700 farm animals will be provided premium subsidy and  enrolled in the DA-PCIC’s crop insurance programs.

The planning forum was highlighted by exchange of information among PCIC and DAR officials.

DAR Undersecretary Jerry Pacturan presented DAR’s organizational structure and its support service programs and projects.    For his part,  PCIC Vice President Antonio S. Uy discussed PCIC’s regional structures and functions as well as its array of insurance programs for crop and other farmer assets,  including his/her life and limbs.

DAR BARBD Director Susana Evangelista-Leones discussed the concept and design of the PCIC-DAR insurance partnership,  the Implementing Rules and Regulations or IRRs of the ARB-AIP as well as their process flowcharts.   For her part,  PCIC’s Ms. Carmen Hutaba shared the PCIC’s underwriting claims and adjustment processes as well as introduced the PCIC’s team of adjusters.

Land Bank of the Philippine official Edgardo S. Luzano discussed the LBP’s agricultural loan progam for the agrarian reform beneficiaries,

PCIC President Jovy C. Bernabe welcomed the participants to the event while DA Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo gave a message.