A flooded area in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, at the height of Tropical Storm Crising.*Romeo Subaldo photo
The entire province of Negros Occidental has been placed under a state of calamity, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson announced on Friday, July 25.
The declaration, approved by the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan in a special session on Thursday, addresses the extensive damage caused by Tropical Storm “Crising” and the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) outbreak affecting sugarcane plantations.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC), headed by Lacson, recommended the declaration, citing the storm’s severe damage to property, displacement of families, and disruption of livelihoods in 21 of the province’s 31 towns and cities.
The simultaneous occurrence of both natural and biological calamities has caused massive agricultural losses endangering food security, employment, and overall economic stability in the province, the PDRRMC said.
The declaration of a State of Calamity is imperative to enable the immediate release of emergency funds, stabilize prices of basic goods, and facilitate swift rescue, relief, recovery, and rehabilitation interventions, it said.
Heavy rainfall, brought on by Tropical Storm Crising and the southwest monsoon, affected 184 barangays and 35,312 families, the PDRRMC said, with “extensive damages to agriculture, infrastructure and local economies”.
The Office of Civil Defense has estimated agricultural damage in the province at P55 million.
Lacson explained that the state of calamity will enable local government units to use their disaster funds to aid affected residents.
He also warned that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) expects more typhoons, potentially bringing further heavy rains and floods.
“We are very fortunate that it’s not hitting us directly in the Visayas but its bringing in a lot of rain,” Lacson said.
The Negros Occidental’s disaster risk reduction and management teams remain on blue alert status, he said, emphasizing the need for continuous preparedness.
RSSI OUTBREAK
The state of calamity also addresses the “alarming outbreak of the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI), Pulvinaria tenuivalvata, a highly destructive and invasive pest that attacks sugarcane crops, which are vital to the province’s agricultural economy,” the PDRRMC said.
The declaration addressed the request of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to be able to procure the necessary insecticides at a faster pace to prevent the further spread of the RSSI, Lacson said.
While the RSSI infestation doesn’t cover a massive area, the monetary damage is already at a minimum of P350 million, Lacson said.
He said that without immediate intervention, the infestation could worsen and affect more areas.
A July 17 SRA report said the RSSI outbreak has infested 2,931 hectares of sugarlands, adversely affecting 1,594 farmers in 116 barangays across 21 towns and cities in Negros Occidental.
David Andrew Sanson, SRA board member and head of SRA’s Task Force on RSSI, thanked the governor for the declaration, stating it will significantly help farmers already struggling from Tropical Storm Crising.
Sanson noted that the SRA had allocated P5 million for the RSSI response but had encountered procurement problems and a failed bidding.
“This declaration will facilitate the immediate purchase of pesticides as well as the massive reproduction of fungus and other beneficial organisms that will be proven effective after field testing is completed,” Sanson said.
FUND RELEASE, PRICE FREEZE
The PDRRMC’s recommendation to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) for the state of calamity declaration includes several key provisions:
- Release of Calamity Fund: A portion of the calamity fund will be released to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the storm and pest infestation, supporting the Provincial Government’s rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts.
- Price Freeze on Basic Necessities and Prime Commodities: A price freeze will be imposed across the province to prevent hoarding and unfair price increases of essential goods.
- Programming/Reprogramming of Funds: Funds will be allocated or realigned for the repair and upgrading of public infrastructure and other priority recovery projects.
- Utilization of Quick Response Fund (QRF): The QRF under the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) Fund will be utilized in all affected LGUs or areas impacted by the disaster for necessary relief, rehabilitation, and recovery operations.
- Use of Alternative Modes of Procurement: Alternative modes of procurement will be authorized for the emergency acquisition of goods and services in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184.*