By CESAR JOLITO III

The declaration of a state of calamity in response to the expanding infestation of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) will depend on the local government units (LGUs), Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said.

“When declaring a state of calamity, it is expected that the LGU is capable of allocating funds to address the issue,” Lacson told reporters on Monday, June 23.

“By doing so, their constituent-farmers may expect financial assistance from the concerned LGUs,” Lacson said.

The infestation brought by RSSI to sugarcane fields has expanded rapidly, growing from just 87 hectares to over 1,505 hectares in less than a month, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

The vast majority of the affected area — approximately 1,490 hectares — is located in Negros Occidental, the heart of the country’s sugar industry.

RSSI has infested sugarcane fields in 44 barangays across 17 LGUs in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, the SRA report revealed.

A total of 744 sugar planters and sugar farmers in Negros Island were affected.

Earlier, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said that declaring a state of calamity would allow LGUs to expedite the procurement and distribution of pesticides to contain the pest’s spread.

The SRA warned that if left unchecked, RSSI could reduce sugar yields by up to 50 percent, citing studies from the University of the Philippines.

The DA and SRA are also implementing quarantine protocols to prevent the movement of infected planting materials, aiming to contain the spread as farmers begin preparations for the next crop year./CJ, WDJ