Farmers from Negros Occidental are assured that their crops are insured with the PCIC.

This, after the agency renewed its Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on August 16, 2018 with the provincial government of Negros Occidental to continue the implementation of the Negros First Universal Corporation Insurance Program (NFUCIP).

“We are happy to have renewed the MOA with Negros Occidental officials led by Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. and Vice Governor Eugenio Lacson,” PCIC President Jovy Bernabe said. “With this, we look to help more farmers and fisherfolk and entrepreneurs by offering protection to their investments.”

Under the NFUCIP, farmers and fisherfolk from Negros Occidental who are not included in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) master list are still insured for free under the PCIC programs. This is because the provincial government pays for the premium of their insurance, done through the MOA.

NFUCIP has provided ₱24.41 Million to more than 30,000 farmers as of August 2018. This covers more than 33,800 hectares of farm lands. More than 15,400 farmers already received a total of ₱74.85 Million worth of indemnity payments.

The RSBSA master list pertains to subsistence farmers and fisherfolk. Those included in the master list get free insurance, as their premium payments are shouldered by the national government.

With the renewal of the MOA, the provincial government can allocate an additional ₱7.08 Million for insurance premium payments for Negros Occidental farmers to the PCIC. Another good thing about the renewal is that farmers and fisherfolk under the NFUCIP are now given free life insurance.

This is under the PCIC’s Agricultural Producers Protection Plan (AP3) with an Amount of Cover (AC) of P50,000.00 per farmer.Present in the signing are Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., Vice Governor Eugenio Lacson, PCIC President Jovy Bernabe, Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino and PCIC Region 6 Officer-in-Charge Eva Ulie D. Laud.

During the occasion, PCIC also awarded ₱2.129 Million worth of indemnity checks to 226 insured farmers coming from the six districts of Negros Occidental Province.