• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo III is pushing for a hybrid strategy to contain the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation, saying chemical intervention is necessary in heavily affected sugarcane areas while biological control should remain the long-term solution.
Yulo said on Friday, July 17 that biological control alone cannot immediately stop the spread of RSSI in areas where infestations have already become severe.
“We have areas heavily infested now. Even if we release biological control, it cannot stop the spread of RSSI,” he said. “In that particular instance, we will do chemical spraying first. Once we finish chemical spraying, we will start developing biological control.”
He noted that Negros Occidental is approaching the harvest season when RSSI populations are expected to decline, giving authorities time to prepare and release biological control agents during the next planting season.
Yulo, a former board member of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), described the infestation in the province’s Fifth District as widespread, with almost all barangays already affected.
On the SRA’s proposal to consider aerial spraying, Yulo said the decision should be based on scientific recommendations.
“What will be the science-based way is best left to the experts to determine,” he said.
The lawmaker also called on all sectors to unite behind a single action plan for Negros Island amid differing views on pest control strategies.
“It is time for us to be united for the industry. Let’s forget whatever our interests may be, whether in the sugar industry or in politics, for the good of the people,” Yulo said.
While Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has maintained support for a biological and environment-friendly approach, Yulo clarified that he favors a hybrid system combining temporary chemical intervention in severely infested areas with the eventual rollout of biological controls.
“I agree to a hybrid approach because there are areas now which are heavily infested. We need chemical spraying in badly hit areas, but that is only temporary,” he said. “The eventual game plan should be to develop biological control because it is cheaper for our farmers compared to continuous spraying.”
The SRA earlier warned that the massive RSSI infestation in Negros Occidental could reduce raw sugar production by about 150,000 metric tons, or roughly eight percent of the country’s annual output, if immediate intervention is not undertaken. Among the measures being studied are drone-assisted application of systemic pesticides and large-scale aerial spraying.
Lacson has ruled out supporting or financing massive aerial pesticide spraying, citing concerns raised by various sectors over its potential impact on public health and the environment.
Instead, the provincial government has allocated an initial P24.96 million to strengthen its biosecurity response anchored on biological control.
The Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations clarified its position, saying it has consistently supported immediate, science-based, large-scale intervention through drone-assisted and manual ground-based spraying.
It cautioned that airplane aerial spraying should only be considered after scientific, environmental, and regulatory evaluations establish its safety under local conditions.
Meanwhile, Yulo also raised alarm over the emergence of fall armyworm infestations affecting cornfields in upland areas of Negros Occidental.
He identified Barangay Quintin Remo in Moises Padilla as well as Barangays Sikatuna, Lima-Lima, and Sebucawan in Isabela as among the areas where reports of infestation have already been received.
“The affected area is already wide. Just like the RSSI, the problem may seem small at this time, but we have seen how fast armyworms multiply. It is important that we give it attention before more cornfields are affected,” Yulo said. | GPB
