The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Monday called for the declaration of emergency powers and urgent inter-agency action as the infestation of red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) in Negros Island escalates, threatening over 60 percent of the nation’s sugar production.
SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, speaking during a multi-agency meeting, described the situation as “alarming” and requested strict quarantine protocols and a halt to the transport of sugarcane planting materials without proper certification. RSSI, which can cut sugar yield by up to 50 percent, has now spread across 424.82 hectares—nearly doubling in just two days.
“This pest hits at the heart of our sugar industry,” Azcona said, urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to immediately enforce movement restrictions. “Negros supplies high-yield cane points for Mindanao. We must act now before this becomes uncontainable.”
Deputy administrator Ignacio Santillana added that emergency policy authorization is needed to fast-track pesticide procurement, with P1.5 million earmarked but currently frozen due to regulatory constraints from the Commission on Audit. Without a formal emergency declaration, SRA and local governments face limitations in halting further spread.
Local officials and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist are seeking policy support from governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to activate a coordinated provincial and national response.
Thirteen localities in Negros Occidental, Mabinay in Negros Oriental, and Anilao in Panay have already reported infestations. The SRA warned that actual figures could be higher, given field manpower constraints.
In the absence of national containment protocols, SRA is urging farmers to avoid sourcing cane points from infected areas and to pre-treat planting materials with pesticides. The agency is also exploring biological control methods and the use of drones for rapid pesticide deployment.
SRA has requested P10 million in assistance from the DA to intensify containment efforts. Without swift intervention, officials warn the infestation could derail the national sugar supply chain and further inflate consumer prices, which already range from P65 to P90 per kg across major markets.
“Someone has to take responsibility,” Azcona said. “This is no longer a local issue—it’s a national agricultural crisis in the making.”
