The Department of Agriculture (DA) reported Friday that the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) has released PHP451 million worth of indemnification funds to insured farmers and fishers following the onslaught of successive typhoons in the country — from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) late October to Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) last week.

“Nakapagbayad na ang PCIC ng mahigit sa PHP451 million sa halos 49,000 na benepisyaryo o mga magsasaka at mangingisda at inaasahan natin na magtuluy-tuloy iyong pagbabayad (The PCIC has already released PHP451 million to almost 49,000 beneficiaries or farmers and fishers and we are expecting continuous payouts),” DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.

For Kristine-affected farmers alone, the PCIC indemnification was at PHP667 million, with validation still underway for other typhoons that followed.

The DA-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Center earlier recorded PHP9.8 billion worth of agricultural damage due to Kristine and Typhoon Leon (Kong-rey).

The combined effects of Typhoon Nika (Toraji), Super Typhoon Ofel (Usagi), and Pepito left around PHP297.25 million worth of agricultural damage, affecting 12,629 farmers as of Nov. 20. (PNA)