The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Tuesday, November 18, that it released an initial P571.3 million in crop insurance payouts to farmers hit by Super Typhoon Uwan and Typhoon Tino to speed up their recovery after weeks of weather-related disruptions.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. received the latest damage report from Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) president Jovy Bernabe, who reported that 65,176 insured farmers across 14 regions suffered losses as of November 11.
He said rice, corn, and high-value crops sustained the most severe damage.
Initial assessments placed production losses at P147.3 million for rice, P55.6 million for corn, and P224.3 million for high-value crops.
DA data showed that Bicol (Region V) — including the devastated province of Catanduanes — recorded the highest number of claimants at 10,958, with potential payouts estimated at P119.4 million.
Bernabe said PCIC regional teams continue to deploy in the field to assist farmers and fast-track claim processing, which he described as crucial to preventing cash-flow interruptions as farmers begin clearing and replanting.
Total agricultural damage from Uwan and Tino has reached P4.13 billion, covering 43,882 hectares and wiping out 19.2 million metric tons of combined production across crops, livestock, poultry, fisheries, coconut farms, and agricultural facilities.
Tiu Laurel said the insurance funding follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to deliver immediate support to food producers hit by consecutive climate shocks.
He stressed that expanding crop insurance coverage remains increasingly vital as extreme weather events intensify and said more farmers must be covered so the sector can better cope with disasters.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.