CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)—Providing immediate assistance to the 19 African Swine Fever (ASF)-affected areas in northern Mindanao, the Department of Agriculture (DA)-10 and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) are working hand in hand to implement the Swine Industry Insurance Program.
As of August 6, DA-10 has placed the 19 areas under red zone and these are comprised of Iligan City, and towns and cities of Misamis Oriental including Alubijid, Balingasag, Balingoan, Cagayan de Oro City, El Salvador City, Gingoog City, Initao, Jasaan, Lagonglong, Laguindingan, Libertad, Manticao, Opol, Salay, Sugbongcogon, Tagoloan, Talisayan, and Villanueva.
“Starting July 1, (farmers with) animals or hogs affected with ASF could no longer receive indemnification from DA but will have to receive it through an insurance program,” Dr. Julesben Maquiling of DA-10 said during the RAGCOM Information Caravan, August 12 via Zoom.
Upon enrollment to the PCIC Swine Industry Insurance Program, from P5,000, the amount to be received by a farmer, if they have an animal that has been stricken by ASF or the animal is depopulated for the purpose of ASF control in an area, they would receive P10,000, he added.
For his part, Roy Arthur Alamban of PCIC said PCIC has allotted P600 million from its current budget for PCIC Livestock Mortality Insurance. The amount shall be used either as insurance premium subsidy or indemnity payment for assured Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) listed hog raisers.
The requirements for PCIC Swine Industry Insurance Program include the photocopy of farmers’ ID, photocopy of the RSBSA enrollment, picture of the animals to be covered, and the certification from the Barangay Biosecurity Officer that the hogs are within the Green, Light Green or Pink zone.
“Mubayad kami sa death due to ASF but kining culling or forced step tungod sa pagsugpo aning ASF, wala’y labot sa kadtong original nga policy. So usa kana sa mga nahimong improvement kining atong programa,” Alamban added.
(We will pay for [swine] deaths due to ASF but for the culling or forced step in containing the spread of ASF, this has not been included in the original policy. That is one of the improvements made with the [insurance] program)
For the coverage of the insurance program, PCIC will provide a maximum of P10,000 per head for the fattener; P14,500 per head for the breeder, F1; and P34,000 maximum per head for the parent stock.
Fatteners should be 45 days old to 6 months, and breeders should be 6 months old to 2 years.
As of August 2021, DA-10 has processed the indemnification of 3,423 farmers affected of the ASF in the region with 13,052 hogs to be indemnified or a total of P65,260,000 assistance since April 22, 2021. (RTP/PIA-10)
