1,500 Quirino farmers get free insurance coverage

MANILA, Philippines - More than 1,500 farmers in Quirino province who were beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program have received free insurance coverage for themselves, their dependents and their crops, an official of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said yesterday.

DAR assistant regional director Paramon Furigay said Certificates of Insurance Coverage (CICs) were awarded to 1,532 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

The CICs certify the farmers as recipients of the agricultural insurance program of DAR and Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.   Furigay said the agency allocated P1 billion to ease the burden of the ARBs from paying their supposed 10 percent insurance premiums.

“The insurance will be good for two cropping seasons, after which, they have to apply anew for the next insurance coverage,” Furigay said.

He said agricultural insurance is important to farmers as it serves as safety net in times of calamity. He said to qualify for the program, the applicant must be an agrarian reform beneficiary.

Among the CIC recipients were 272 ARBs from Aglipay town, 69 in Saguday, 716 in Diffun and 475 in Maddela.