Almost 81,000 farmers and fishermen in the Philippines received their combined calamity claims of P540.75 million from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) up to more than two years after they suffered losses.
The Commission on Audit (COA), in a 2021 report released recently, said the delays – ranging from one day to 747 days – defeated the purpose of giving the affected farmers and fishermen in six regions “speedy/timely assistance” to get back on their feet.
The regional officers of the PCIC said few personnel and incomplete documentation combined with the sudden increase in claims contributed to the delays.
The report said they gave assurances that they would double the efforts to address the issues raised by state auditors.