MANILA—The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) has set aside an initial P571.3 million to compensate insured farmers impacted by Typhoons Tino and Uwan, as part of government efforts to accelerate agricultural recovery from back-to-back climate shocks.

“This is part of the assistance package ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to help food producers swiftly recover,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said. He added, “Hopefully, more of our agricultural stakeholders can be covered by the PCIC so the sector can better cope with disasters,” stressing the growing importance of crop insurance as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe due to climate change.

In a report to Tiu Laurel, PCIC President Jovy Bernabe said that as of November 11, about 65,176 insured farmers across 14 regions were affected, mainly cultivating rice, corn, and high-value crops. Initial assessments estimate losses of around P147.3 million for rice, P55.6 million for corn, and P224.3 million for high-value crops. Region V—home to the hardest-hit Catanduanes—recorded the highest number of claimants at 10,958, with potential payouts estimated at P119.4 million.

“We have issued strict instructions to our regional staff to continue assisting farmers and speed up the processing of their damage claims,” Bernabe said, adding that PCIC teams have been instructed to provide on-the-ground assistance and fast-track claims to prevent cash-flow disruptions for affected farmers.

The Agriculture Department’s latest estimates put total damages and losses from Typhoons Uwan and Tino at P4.13 billion. The storms destroyed about 19.2 million metric tons of production across 43,882 hectares, affecting not only crops but also coconut farms, livestock and poultry, fisheries, agricultural infrastructure, and machinery.