Bacolod City Declares State of Calamity Over Sugarcane Pest Infestation

MANILA, Philippines — The city government of Bacolod has declared a state of calamity over an infestation of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) that has ravaged more than 2,000 hectares of sugarcane plantations. The Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the declaration on Aug. 5 after the city agriculture office reported that the pest infestation has caused P200 million in damage to agriculture. Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said the widespread destruction of agricultural crops exceeded the minimum threshold required for the declaration of a state of calamity. Data from the city agriculture office showed that about 2,000 hectares or 65.45 percent of the city’s 3,056 hectares of sugarcane farms have been destroyed by the pest. The infestation has displaced around 350 sugarcane planters and 2,000 farm workers who lost their livelihoods to the pest. Earlier, the provincial governments of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental declared a state of calamity due to RSSI infestation. The declaration of a state of calamity allows local government units to release their calamity funds to assist their constituents affected by disasters. Former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela, who is a sugarcane planter, stressed the need for a coordinated and science-based strategy to contain the spread of the pest. Coscolluela said that farmers have been implementing different treatment methods, resulting in fragmented pest management efforts. Meanwhile, records from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) showed that 5,844.18 hectares of sugarcane farms in the third district of Negros Occidental have been ravaged by the pest, affecting 3,268 farmers. The national government has released P10.56 million in emergency cash assistance for 1,000 small-scale sugarcane planters in Talisay and San Carlos.