By CESAR JOLITO III
The E.B. Magalona municipal government has created a municipal red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) task force to strengthen its response against the rapidly spreading pest infestation threatening the local sugar industry.
The task force was institutionalized to coordinate local efforts in containing and managing the RSSI which has affected sugarcane farms across Negros Occidental.
The executive order cited provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 authorizing local government units to protect agricultural production, safeguard livelihoods, and ensure the efficient delivery of basic services.
The order also noted that the increasing RSSI infestation in Negros Occidental has been confirmed by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).
E.B. Magalona Mayor Matthew Louis Malacon said the creation of the task force was prompted by the continuing spread of the infestation, which could further damage the province’s sugar industry if not immediately addressed.
“Considering the rapid spread of the infestation, it will pose a serious threat to the sugar industry if left unabated,” Malacon said.
“There is an urgent need to institutionalize a municipal RSSI task force to ensure a coordinated, timely and effective local response,” he added.
The municipal task force is mandated to formulate and recommend policies, strategies, programs, and interventions to combat the infestation within the town.
Among its key responsibilities are coordinating with national government agencies, the provincial government, and other stakeholders to ensure a unified response against agricultural pests.
The provincial government earlier encouraged all component cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental to establish their own local task forces to strengthen coordination, containment, control, and management of the infestation.
The RSSI outbreak has emerged as one of the biggest challenges facing the sugar industry in Negros Occidental this year, with thousands of hectares of sugarcane plantations already affected across the province./CCJ, WDJ