BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental – The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) are shifting into high gear against the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), rolling out drones, chemical spraying, financial aid, and long-term biological controls to contain an outbreak threatening the country’s sugar industry, particularly in Negros Island and Western Visayas.
The DA has earmarked P35 million for chemicals and drone operations, with an initial target of 25,000 hectares. Officials are preparing to expand coverage to 40,000 to 45,000 hectares, or more, if the infestation worsens.
During his meeting with officials of local government units affected by the RSSI infestation, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. also extended assistance from other government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The DA and DSWD will provide P10,000 in cash assistance to each validated affected farmer as immediate relief. More than 12,300 farmers have already been validated, with the DA seeking additional funding to expand assistance to as many as 20,000 beneficiaries.
“This is about protecting an industry that supports thousands of farmers, workers, and their families,” said Tiu Laurel. “Every hectare we save means protecting livelihoods, preserving sugar production, and keeping one of the country’s most important agricultural industries strong. We intend to act quickly, decisively, and in close partnership with local governments.”
RSSI, first detected in Pampanga several years ago, is an invasive sap-sucking pest that inflicts severe damage on sugarcane by feeding on plant sap and promoting the growth of black sooty mold. The mold coats the leaves, blocking sunlight, disrupting photosynthesis and stunting plant growth, ultimately reducing both cane yield and sugar content.
Universal Leaf Philippines is lending drones for aerial spraying, while the Philippine Air Force will provide a C-130 aircraft to transport chemicals once supplies are ready.
Because the drones must fly lower over sugarcane for maximum effectiveness, daily coverage in Negros Island is expected to reach around 300 hectares. Spray cannon trucks from DA regional offices are also being redeployed to complement drone and backpack spraying operations. DA Central Office will track the campaign through weekly monitoring.
Officials acknowledged that chemical control is the fastest option available. The SRA has already developed biological control agents using beneficial fungi, but current production is enough to treat only about four hectares a day. The DA will rely on chemical spraying while working with research institutions for the mass production of biocontrol agents nationwide.
“The challenge before us is immediate, but so is our resolve,” Tiu Laurel said. “We are responding to today’s outbreak while investing in solutions that will strengthen the sugar industry’s resilience for years to come.”
The scale of the infestation underscores the urgency. Of the country’s 421,606 hectares planted to sugarcane this crop year, 93,898 hectares have been affected by RSSI. Nearly all—92,295 hectares—are in the Visayas, particularly Negros Island and Western Visayas. More than 12,700 farmers have already been identified as affected.
Recognizing that RSSI is likely to become a recurring threat, the DA and SRA are moving beyond emergency response.
The agencies have prepared memorandum of agreement templates that would allow funds to be downloaded directly to local government units and qualified cooperatives, enabling them to procure chemicals and supplies without lengthy bidding procedures. The SRA will provide geotagged infestation data, technical assistance, and validated area estimates to guide local interventions.
At the same time, the government is laying the foundation for a decentralized biocontrol network. Municipalities, state universities, sugar mills, and farmers’ cooperatives are being encouraged to establish laboratories capable of producing biological control agents.
The SRA will provide laboratory designs, technical training, and mother cultures, allowing local facilities to build stockpiles before future outbreaks.
Officials say the long-term goal is to make biocontrol and biosecurity standard practice in sugarcane production—a major shift for an industry that has traditionally depended on chemical interventions.
SRA Administrator and CEO Pablo Luis Azcona said containing the infestation quickly is essential to protecting both farmers and consumers. “Our objective is to minimize crop losses, stabilize sugar production, and prevent unnecessary disruptions in supply,” Azcona said. “The faster we do this, the better we can protect farmers’ incomes, sustain milling operations, and help keep sugar prices stable for consumers.”
The SRA has also intensified surveillance through an inter-agency task force and a geotagging application that allows local governments to upload real-time infestation reports. The agency is also working with a Japanese technology firm that successfully developed early detection systems for coconut scale insects and banana Fusarium wilt in Mindanao. The company is expected to begin RSSI detection work in Negros in August.
Recent data suggest earlier surveillance and integrated pest management efforts slowed the pest’s spread after the initial outbreak in 2025. The sharp increase recorded in June 2026, however, reflects both renewed infestations—driven by dry weather and the movement of planting materials—and more aggressive field validation.
RSSI, analyses by the DA and SRA suggest, is no longer an isolated outbreak but a recurring production risk. The answer, officials say, lies in sustained surveillance, faster response, stronger local capacity, and tighter coordination across the sugar industry’s entire value chain.
