THE DECLARATION of a province-wide state of calamity in Iloilo over the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation reminds us of how vulnerable our farmers remain to threats that can destroy their livelihoods faster than government can respond.
But with P1.181 billion in estimated damage, 10,342 hectares of sugarcane plantations affected, and 9,491 farmers suffering across 27 municipalities, this is an economic disaster that demands more than emergency declarations.
Declarations do not kill pests, restore damaged crops, or put food on farmers’ tables. What matters now is how quickly government can translate its pronouncements into meaningful relief.
The P15 million earmarked by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.’s administration for immediate interventions is a good beginning. Yet it represents barely 1.3 percent of the estimated agricultural losses. While intended for pest control rather than compensation, the allocation underscores the enormous challenge ahead. Iloilo needs a sustained recovery program, not merely a temporary response.
More troubling is the apparent need for a calamity declaration before broader financial assistance can reach affected farmers. Must thousands lose their livelihoods before government can mobilize substantial support? Must an infestation devastate entire communities before decisive intervention becomes possible?
These questions expose a persistent weakness in agricultural governance: government is often more prepared to respond to disasters than to prevent them.
The infestation did not destroy more than 10,000 hectares overnight. Its spread raises serious questions about agricultural surveillance, early detection, and the adequacy of preventive interventions.
Were warning signs overlooked? Were local agricultural offices sufficiently equipped? Could earlier action have prevented losses on this scale?
These questions demand answers, not excuses.
The proposed expansion of biological control laboratories and nurseries deserves immediate attention. Iloilo needs a permanent, science-based pest management system capable of stopping agricultural threats before they become provincial emergencies.
Beyond the statistics are thousands of farming families confronting lost income, mounting debts, and uncertain futures. Financial assistance must reach them quickly, fairly, and transparently. They should not have to endure another calamity of bureaucratic delays, political favoritism, or government inefficiency.
The provincial government, Department of Agriculture, municipal authorities, and sugar industry stakeholders must now pursue a coordinated strategy combining immediate pest control, financial relief, crop rehabilitation, and long-term agricultural protection.
The RSSI crisis is a wake-up call. Iloilo cannot continue treating agricultural disasters as isolated emergencies while neglecting the systems needed to prevent their recurrence.
The greater calamity is not simply that insects have devastated Iloilo’s sugarcane fields. It is that thousands of farmers can lose their livelihoods before government mechanisms are fully mobilized to protect them.
The state of calamity has been declared. Now comes the real test of leadership: delivering results before more farmers lose everything.
Iloilo does not merely need a government that responds to calamities. It needs one capable of preventing them.
