PCIC inks deal with GCash to ease payments to farmers

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), in partnership with Gcash, has launched the pilot run of its “Digital Financial Literacy Caravan.”

The initiative supports PCIC’s transition to faster, more secure digital indemnity payments for farmers across the country, said Israel Dela Cruz, Business Development and Marketing Manager at PCIC

The caravan’s rollout follows the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between GCash and PCIC in January 2025, formalizing the agency’s shift to digital disbursements through the GCash platform.

With the partnership, PCIC is now equipped to efficiently release billions of pesos in insurance proceeds to millions of insured farmers nationwide, enabling real-time payouts without the need for physical checks.

“The long-term vision of our corporation is to facilitate the efficient distribution of payouts for our farmers and fisherfolk, particularly in far-flung areas,”“One way of achieving that is through GCash, which has spearheaded the adoption of e-wallets in the Philippines and is a major boost to PCIC’s digitalization efforts, explained Dela Cruz.

Julius Batenga, Regional Manager of PCIC Regional Office 8, emphasized the strength of the partnership, saying noting “GCash is the largest digital platform, which is why PCIC selected it as our partner for indemnity payments. Included in the partnership is a financial literacy program to educate farmers on accessing a broader range of financial services.”

Beyond faster indemnity disbursements, the collaboration also aims to break down barriers to financial inclusion in rural areas. By eliminating the need to travel long distances to encash checks, farmers can now conveniently access insurance proceeds and leverage a wide array of digital financial services, including savings, microloans, and investments, directly through the GCash app.

“With the partnership between GCash and PCIC, farmers no longer need to wait for physical checks for their insurance claims,” said Alda Lou Cabrera, Manager for Public Sector National Government Accounts at GCash. “They can now receive payouts directly to their GCash accounts, no matter where they are.”

The Digital Financial Literacy Caravan complements this digital shift by equipping farmers with essential financial knowledge.

The grassroots program kicked off on April 3 and 4, reaching 300 farmers in Candaba, Pampanga, and 200 farmers in San Rafael, Bulacan. In both areas, a large majority of participants expressed enthusiasm for receiving their insurance claims via GCash, underscoring growing rural acceptance of digital financial services.

PCIC and GCash plan to expand the caravan to more provinces, pushing forward their shared commitment to empowering Filipino farmers through digital innovation.

As both institutions recognize the vital role of agriculture in national development, they aim to ensure that more farming communities nationwide benefit from digital financial access and literacy, De La Cruz said.  — (FREEMAN)