The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation has continued to deliver its crop insurance products and services, despite the ongoing corona virus infectious disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic.

This was revealed during the “Capability Assessment for Remote Audit” conducted by TÜV Rheinland Philippines, Inc. on September 18, 2020. TÜV Rheinland Philippines, Inc. is an international ISO 9001 certifying body. The assessment was carried out in line with the ISO 9001:2015 Certificate of Compliance, which is set to expire by October 12, 2020.

“The organization didn’t stop operation during the start of ECQ last March 17, 2020,” Segundo Guerrero, Jr., PCIC VP for Support Services, told Minda Fe Villapando, the representative of TÜV Rheinland Philippines, Inc. during the assessment.

To this end, the Corporation developed guidelines to ensure safe return to work for their employees to prevent getting infected by the corona virus.

PCIC Regional Offices 1 (Pangasinan), 3A (Nueva Ecija), 6 (Iloilo) 10 (Cagayan de Oro City) and 11 (South Cotabato), which will undergo remote auditing by TUV Rheinland, shared how they remained operational despite the localized lockdowns imposed by LGUs in their area. RO3, for instance, maintained a skeletal work force despite the imposition of strict quarantine rules. Another RO implements a one-day break for staff members, a precaution against COVID-19.

 Still. another RO requires only 50 percent of the work force to report to the office everyday, while the other 50 percent work from their respective homes. They were able to continue work by utilizing the available technologies, for instance, conducting meetings thru the Zoom video app, and by exchanging e-mails. 

With these, PCIC ROs were able to fulfill their tasks, especially claims processing and release to farmers whose crops were damaged by pests and natural calamities.

“PCIC remains committed to assist farmers and fishers by giving protection to their investments, even though we are in the middle of a pandemic,” PCIC President Jovy Bernabe said. “Our clients can depend on us to make crop insurance more accessible, affordable and responsive to their needs.”