Farmers and fishers affected by typhoons “Tino” and “Uwan” can now avail of compensation from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC), which has set aside an initial P571.3 million to accelerate their recovery.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said Tuesday the agency plans to expand crop insurance coverage to reach more farmers and agricultural stakeholders.

“Hopefully, more of our agricultural stakeholders can be covered by the PCIC so the sector can better cope with disasters,” he said.

PCIC president Jovy Bernabe reported that as of 11 November, approximately 65,176 insured farmers across 14 regions were affected by the typhoons, mostly cultivating rice, corn and high-value crops.

Initial loss assessments show estimated damage of P147.3 million for rice, P55.6 million for corn and P224.3 million for high-value crops. Region V, which includes the hardest-hit province of Catanduanes, recorded the highest number of claimants at 10,958, with potential payouts reaching P119.4 million.

Bernabe said that regional PCIC teams have been directed to provide on-the-ground support and fast-track claims processing to prevent cash-flow disruptions for farmers.

“We have issued strict instructions to our regional staff to continue assisting farmers and speed up the processing of their damage claims,” he said.

The Agriculture Department’s latest estimates put total damages and losses from typhoons “Uwan” and “Tino” at P4.13 billion, affecting some 19.2 million metric tons of crops across 43,882 hectares. The storms also caused damage to coconut farms, livestock and poultry, fisheries, and agricultural infrastructure and machinery.