Senator Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan said on Thursday that the Philippine government must put in place stronger and more comprehensive agricultural insurance protections for farmers and fisherfolk, whose livelihoods are being threatened by the strong El Niño phenomenon.

El Niño is a recurring climate pattern driven by unusually warm sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific. In the Philippines, it typically brings below-normal rainfall and prolonged dry spells, putting crops, livestock and fishing operations at heightened risk.

To shore up protections for agricultural workers, Mr. Pangilinan filed proposed Senate Bill (SB) No. 2583, dated Oct. 29. The measure seeks to expand services and ensure the continued operation of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), the state-run agricultural insurer created in 1978 under Presidential Decree No. 1467 and attached to the Department of Agriculture.

"Agricultural insurance protects farmers and fisherfolk against losses, supports continued production, and facilitates access to financing," Mr. Pangilinan said in the bill's explanatory note.

The proposed measure broadens PCIC's insurance coverage to include a wider range of agricultural commodities and assets, such as palay (unmilled rice), aquaculture and livestock, alongside equipment and infrastructure. It would also strengthen the corporation's authority to provide life and accident term insurance coverage for farmers and fisherfolk. Taken together, the wider scope would place not just production — palay, aquaculture and livestock — but also the equipment and infrastructure behind farm and fishing operations, and the workers themselves, within the state insurer's remit.

The senator noted that insurance not only helps farmers and fisherfolk recover from losses but also supports food production and improves their access to credit. For producers at the bottom of the poverty rankings, that mix of loss recovery, continued production and financing access shapes how well households can absorb climate-related setbacks.

He pointed to government data showing that agricultural workers remain among the country's poorest. Farmers and fisherfolk registered the highest poverty incidence among basic sectors, standing at 27% and 27.4%, respectively, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority's 2025 report.

Mr. Pangilinan said these figures underscore the need for greater government support for the agricultural sector.

Under the Philippine legislative process, SB No. 2583 would still need to be approved by both chambers of Congress and signed by the President before it can take effect as law. Its next milestones include referral to a Senate committee, possible hearings on the proposed expansion of PCIC's mandate, and corresponding action in the House of Representatives — the steps that will determine whether and when the widened coverage becomes law.

— Francessca S. Abalos, BusinessWorld