ILOILO City — Farmers and fisherfolk in Western Visayas could lose their chance to claim free crop insurance if they fail to report calamity-related damage within strict deadlines — as short as two days for fisheries, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6 warned.
The DA-6 issued the reminder as the rainy season, southwest monsoon or habagat, and incoming tropical cyclones heighten the risk of flooding and other disasters that could damage farms, fishponds, livestock, poultry, machinery and agricultural infrastructure.
Affected farmers and fisherfolk must immediately report losses to their respective Municipal or City Agriculture Office (M/CAO) because claims filed beyond the prescribed periods may no longer qualify for insurance.
Damage to fisheries must be reported within two days, while losses involving high-value crops must be reported within three days.
The reporting deadline is seven days for livestock and poultry, 20 days for rice and corn, and three to 10 days for agricultural machinery and infrastructure.
Affected agricultural producers should photograph or otherwise document damage to rice fields, crops, fishponds, livestock or poultry before proceeding to their local agriculture office to have the losses officially recorded.
Once a report is filed, M/CAO personnel will inspect the affected site, validate the damage and process the insurance claim.
The DA-6, however, stressed that only farmers and fisherfolk registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) are qualified for free crop insurance.
Those who have not yet registered may visit their local agriculture office and accomplish an RSBSA form. They must provide truthful and complete information to avoid problems in processing their claims.
“Libre ang crop insurance para sa mga mangungoma nga naka-register sa RSBSA. Siguruhon nga matuod kag kumpleto ang documents para malikawan ang pagka-delay or pagkuha sang claim,” the DA-6 reminded.
The RSBSA serves as the government’s official database of farmers and fisherfolk, containing information about their farms, fishing activities and other agricultural livelihoods.
Government agencies use the registry as the basis for identifying qualified recipients of agricultural assistance and other support programs./PN
