BACOLOD City – More than 12,000 sugarcane farmers in the Visayas affected by the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) infestation will receive P10,000 each in cash assistance as part of the national government’s intervention to mitigate the impact of the pest on the sugar industry.
The assistance was announced by Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. during a meeting with Negros Occidental mayors in Talisay City on July 24, where government officials discussed measures to contain the spread of RSSI and provide support to affected farmers.
The cash aid will be sourced from a P200-million fund to be implemented through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) tasked to validate the list of beneficiaries.
SRA records obtained by Panay News on July 27 showed that 12,327 farmers have so far been validated to receive the financial assistance, with the verification process still ongoing to include additional qualified beneficiaries.
Of the validated beneficiaries, 11,461 are from the Negros Island Region, particularly Negros Occidental, where the RSSI infestation has been classified as an epidemic. The remaining beneficiaries include 767 farmers from Western Visayas, five from Central Visayas, and 93 from Eastern Visayas.
SRA data also showed that of the 277,808.46 hectares planted to sugarcane in the Visayas during crop year 2025-2026, about 92,780 hectares have been affected by the infestation.
Aside from the cash assistance, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has earmarked P35 million to strengthen pest control operations in Negros Occidental, according to the DA-Negros Island Region.
Of the amount, P25 million will be transferred to local government units for the rental and operation of agricultural drones to conduct targeted chemical spraying, while P10 million will be used to procure pesticides for the anti-RSSI campaign.
The DA also said additional funds will be allocated for the purchase of backpack sprayers, while 14 agricultural drones, including units deployed from Isabela, will be mobilized to accelerate spraying operations in affected sugarcane plantations.
The department said the interventions form part of the government’s intensified campaign to contain the spread of RSSI, protect the livelihoods of sugarcane farmers, and sustain the productivity of the sugar industry in Negros Occidental.
Following his meeting with local chief executives, Laurel also met with sugarcane farmers in Cadiz City to hear their concerns, including issues raised by labor groups.
He stressed the importance of engaging directly with farmers to better understand the challenges they face and to ensure that government assistance responds to their actual needs./PN
