Pay insurance claims of crash victims swiftly, gov’t orders

RESCUE MISSION Rescuers use a rope to pull survivors from a ravine where a bus fell on Tuesday in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. —PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILIPPINE RED CROSS

The government has ordered the immediate payment of insurance claims of victims of the bus crash that killed  35 people and injured more than 40 others in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija.

In a statement on Wednesday, a day after the crash, Insurance Commission chief Dennis Funa said his agency had required the Passenger

Accident Management and Insurance Agency Inc. (Pami) “to expedite the release of the insurance proceeds to the families of the victims” and provide other assistance in processing their claims.

He said the agency had also directed Pami to submit a written report on the status of the insurance payments, including the number of claims and amounts paid.

Bus operator

The commission said Pami was scheduled to meet with the operator of the  Leomarick Trans bus involved in the crash.

“Pami manifested that it will comply with the directives of Insurance Commissioner Funa and assured him that it is ready to release the full amount of insurance proceeds to the beneficiaries of the victims of the accident upon submission of complete documentary requirements,” the

Insurance Commission said in a statement.

Pami, whose lead insurer is UCPB General Insurance Co., is one of the two management companies with which the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board currently has an existing three-year agreement under the passenger personal accident insurance program (PPAIP).

Under the PPAIP, the maximum death benefit is P200,000 per passenger but injury benefits depend on the kind of injuries suffered. Bus drivers and conductors are each provided burial assistance worth P15,000 plus a P10,000 coffin subsidy and a one-time educational assistance of P10,000 for one child for each driver and conductor, the commission said.