• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, July 21 the decision to permit which eradication method will be used to address the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation will be left entirely to local chief executives.
Lacson earlier ruled out provincial funding or support for aerial chemical spraying using large aircraft, advocating instead for biological and eco-friendly pest control methods due to public health and environmental concerns.
However, the governor clarified that the province’s refusal to fund the initiative does not equate to an outright ban.
“Going back to the province, we never said that we oppose. But this is the direction we are going – to go green,” Lacson said, noting that public opinion on the matter is “split down the line”.
“I will now let the local government units (LGUs), through their local chief executives, decide what is best for their community. They should know best,” he said.
The governor said that sectors wishing to finance aerial spraying may do so, provided they secure the explicit approval of the respective mayors.
In the meantime, Lacson said the provincial government is moving forward with its biological control initiatives, with initial spraying operations scheduled to start in certain areas this week.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration earlier argued that biological control, while sustainable, is not an immediate solution to the rapid spread of RSSI.
United Sugar Producers Federation president Manuel Lamata has strongly defended the proposal for large-scale aerial spraying, stressing that immediate, broad-spectrum action is critical to protect small-scale farmers who lack the financial means to purchase individual chemical treatments. | GPB
