The creation of a national Red Striped Soft Shell Insect (RSSI) ad hoc committee was agreed on during First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos’ meeting with sugar industry stakeholders on the worsening infestation, Roland C. de la Cruz, president of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP), said Sunday, August 16.
The committee is envisioned to mobilize a whole-of-government approach to effectively address the infestation, strengthen diagnostics, and ensure transparent and timely interventions, he said.
Alarm has been raised over the unprecedented threat that has severely impacted the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of sugar farmers, workers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries nationwide, de la Cruz pointed out.
The First Lady, who met with sugar industry stakeholders in Bacolod City on Friday, August 14, later posted on Facebook thanking them for coming together in “one room with one shared purpose.”
“I know I am not a scientist nor an expert on RSSI, but all throughout our hopefully productive meeting, I couldn’t help but remember an ancient saying: Don’t fix the blame. Fix the problem,” she said.
“Moving forward, our goal is simple: let’s work together, find solutions and help our sugar industry thrive again,” she added.
Stakeholders welcomed the First Lady’s openness to continued dialog and her recognition of the urgent need to protect the livelihoods of sugar-producing communities, de la Cruz said.
The RSSI ad hoc committee is expected to coordinate scientific and field-level interventions, harmonize efforts across the Department of Agriculture, Sugar Regulatory Administration, other national government agencies, LGUs, and Congress, he said.
It will also strengthen early detection and rapid response systems, ensure transparency and accountability in program implementation, and support legislative reforms to fortify the sugar industry.
It is further expected to address financial distress through grant-based support mechanisms, pursue loan moratoriums and penalty condonation, ensure grassroots consultation in assistance programs, develop and disseminate clear, science-based farm-level guidelines, and expand Sugar Board representation to include workers, ARBs, and other stakeholders, he said.
De la Cruz also raised the issue of inadequate representation within the SRA. He stressed that with the gravity of the RSSI infestation, workers, farmers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries must have a voice in the policy-making mechanisms of the Sugar Board.
He pointed out that the original SRA charter predates the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Law, yet today 80 percent of sugar production comes from ARB farms, which still lack representation.
He cited legislative proposals such as the T.U.B.O. Bill filed by Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez and Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza, which seek to expand Sugar Board membership to include workers, ARBs, and other stakeholders.
“The Sugar Board must reflect the reality of today’s industry. ARBs produce most of our sugar, yet they have no seat at the table. This must change,” de la Cruz said.
Elisama Gregorio, chairperson of the NACUSIP Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Council, raised the urgent concern that there are no clear, science-based, farm-level guidelines from the SRA on how farmers should combat RSSI.
Because of this vacuum in official guidance, farmers have been forced to rely on social media content—often inconsistent, unverified, or incomplete—on matters such as pesticide use, spraying protocols, quarantine measures, and containment strategies, Gregorio said.
“Farmers are left to guess their way through this crisis. Without clear guidelines, they rely on social media posts instead of science. This is unacceptable for an infestation of this scale,” Gregorio added.
Anthony John Demisana, general secretary of the ARB Council, criticized the lack of grassroots consultation by the SRA in distributing machineries, implements, and fertilizer assistance. He noted that equipment was given to upland farms where terrain made them unusable, and fertilizers were distributed weeks before harvest, rendering them ineffective.
“Assistance must be based on real conditions in the field. Without grassroots consultation, resources are wasted and farmers continue to suffer,” Demisana said.
Gregorio added that many farmers will be unable to repay their SIDA Social Credit Program loans due to severe economic losses caused by falling sugar prices from over-importation and the devastation of RSSI.
Benjie de la Cruz, executive vice president of the Congress of Independent Organizations (CIO UNI), called for a moratorium on loan payments and condonation of penalties and interest for RSSI-affected farmers, ARBs, cooperatives, and associations.
“Penalties and interest charges will only push farmers deeper into poverty. A moratorium and condonation are necessary for them to recover,” he emphasized.
Deputy Speaker Albee Benitez reiterated the need for urgent representations with the Land Bank of the Philippines to provide grants—not additional loans—to affected farmers.
“Our farmers need relief, not additional burdens. Grants will allow them to recover and continue producing,” Benitez said.
The sugar industry workers, agrarian reform beneficiaries, and farmers’ organizations thank the First Lady for personally meeting with them to discuss the RSSI infestation problem, de la Cruz said.
They also acknowledged the instrumental role of former Local Government Secretary and Senator Mar Roxas, whose private advocacy for the sustainability of the sugar industry made the dialogue possible. His continued commitment to protecting farmers, workers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries helped convene leaders from labor, planters’ groups, Congress, and government agencies, de la Cruz said.*
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