After 2 typhoons DA READIES INSURANCE PAYMENTS, SEEDS, LOANS FOR TYPHOON VICTIMS By Manny Piñol

Insurance payments for crops destroyed, seeds and fertilizers and an emergency loaning program of P25,000 per family affected are now being readied by the Department of Agriculture to be extended to areas affected by the twin typhoons Urduja and Vinta.

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) through its president Jovy Bernabe earlier said P127-M was readied for release to the following regions affected by Typhoon Urduja on Dec. 15:

– Region 4B- P 20.1 M for 3,891 farmers

– Region 5- P 27.5 M for 5,344 farmers

– Region 6 – P 26.8 M for 5,125 farmers

– Region 7 – P 25.8 M for 2,826 farmers

The PCIC will update its damage assessments following the onslaught of a second typhoon, Vinta, which mainly affected regions in the Southern Philippines.

Asst. Secretary Andrew Villacorta, who is also the Field Operations head, reported that buffer seeds from other regional offices of the Agriculture Department are now being shipped to the typhoon affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) through its Executive Director Jocelyn Badiola, has been directed to validate the number of families of accredited farmers and fisherfolk affected by the typhoons so they could be granted the SURE loaning program.

The SURE Program which stands for Survival and Recovery, grants a P25,000 loan package to farming and fisherfolk families affected by calamities.

Of the amount, P5,000 is given as a grant while the remaining P20,000 is a no-collateral, no-interest loan payable in 3 years and designed to assist typhoon victims in the fisheries and agriculture sector to recover.

Local Government Units of typhoon-affected areas are required to submit a municipal resolution declaring a state of calamity in their areas which along with the NDRRMC data will be used as the basis for the granting of the SURE loans.

Undersecretary Francisco Villano, who is also Chief of Staff of the DA Secretary, has been directed to ensure the delivery of assistance and services to the typhoon affected areas.

(Photos of the damage caused by typhoons Urduja and Vinta downloaded from public websites.)