The red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation is wreaking havoc on sugarcane fields in Negros Occidental, with initial damage estimates reaching P350 million.
This figure is expected to climb as the pests continue to spread, David Andrew Sanson, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) board member and Task Force RSSI head, said on Friday, July 18.
Sanson met with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Capitol in Bacolod City on Friday to discuss SRA’s urgent request for a declaration of a state of emergency in the province.
Such a declaration would allow the SRA to immediately spend P5 million from its own funds and P10 million from the Department of Agriculture, he said.
These funds are crucial for the swift purchase and distribution of pesticides to farmers across Negros Occidental to curb the RSSI’s advance, Sanson said.
Without this declaration SRA’s procurement process for pesticides could take months, he explained
Sanson clarified that the request for a state of emergency is solely to expedite pesticide purchases using the allocated P15 million.
The SRA does not expect local governments to contribute funds for the RSSI battle under this declaration, he said.
While the RSSI infestation doesn’t currently meet the land area criteria for a state of calamity declaration, they are exploring whether the substantial financial losses incurred could be a valid basis, Sanson said.
Lacson said he would refer the matter to the Provincial Legal Office to determine the legal grounds for declaring a state of calamity due to the RSSI’s impact.*