PDP-Laban Senatorial bet Francis Tolentino: Lift crop insurance payment due to El Niño

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER and administration Senatorial candidate Atty. Francis Tolentino has urged concerned government agencies like the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) to lift the crop insurance payments of El Niño-hit farmers and fisherfolks in the country.

Tolentino issued this statement in light of the already reported P1.33 billion damage to agriculture caused by El Niño.

“The livelihood of our farmers and fisherfolks are the first to absorb the impacts of droughts and other natural calamities. Thus, they should likewise be the first to receive government support when calamities challenge their means of living. Lifting crop insurance payments and expanding government support will enable farmers and fishermen to recover faster from the damages brought by typhoons and other natural phenomenon such as El Niño,” Tolentino said.

He said farmers and fisherfolks should be granted collateral-free loans especially by government banks in order for them to be able to quickly resume farming or fishing after damage to their products and equipment caused by calamities. “Last year, only P598 billion out of the P644 billion earmarked for agricultural and agrarian reform credit was extended to the agriculture sector.

More agri-prenuers could have been empowered had the allocation for the aforementioned purpose been maximized,” Tolentino said. “Our food supply is greatly dependent on the production of farmers and the catch of fishermen. Hence, in order to ensure food supply and price stability, assistance to farmers and fishermen should be made available,” he added.

El Niño is a part of a routine climate pattern that occurs when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean rise to above-normal levels for an extended period of time. The opposite of El Niño, La Niña, is when sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific drop to lower-than-normal levels. (With a report from the Mindanao Examiner)

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