Negros Occidental in a state of calamity
BACOLOD CITY—The entire Negros Occidental was placed in a state of calamity to speed up assistance to sugarcane plantations hit by the outbreak of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) and localities affected by extensive damage caused by last week’s Severe Tropical Storm “Crising” (international name: Wipha).
The declaration, approved by the Negros Occidental Provincial Board in a special session on Thursday, was based on the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), citing the storm’s severe damage to property, displacement of families and disruption of livelihoods in 21 of the province’s 31 towns and cities.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, who signed the declaration on Friday, said the measure was “imperative to enable the immediate release of emergency funds, stabilize prices of basic goods, and facilitate swift rescue, relief, recovery and rehabilitation interventions.”
Heavy rainfall, brought on by Crising and the southwest monsoon, affected 184 barangays and 35,312 families, the PDRRMC said.
The Office of Civil Defense reported agricultural damage in the province at P45,550,629.
The calamity declaration would likewise put in place a price freeze on basic necessities and prime commodities across the province to prevent hoarding and unfair price increases of essential goods, the PDRRMC added.
At the same time, funds could be allocated or realigned for the repair and upgrading of public infrastructure and other priority recovery projects, it said.
RSSI outbreak
Lacson urged residents to remain on alert as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has indicated more typhoons are expected to enter the country, potentially bringing further heavy rains and floods.
Negros Occidental’s DRRMC teams remained on blue alert status, he said, emphasizing the need for continuous preparedness.
The state of calamity also addressed the “alarming outbreak of the RSSI (Pulvinaria tenuivalvata), a highly destructive and invasive pest that attacks sugarcane crops, which are vital to the province’s agricultural economy,” the PDRRMC said.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) had earlier asked for a calamity declaration so that it could use some P15 million in funds from the agency and the Department of Agriculture to procure the necessary insecticides at a faster pace to prevent the further spread of the RSSI.
The RSSI infestation did not cover a massive area but its damage to sugar farms already reached P350 million, Lacson said.
He said without immediate intervention, the infestation could increase and affect more areas.
On July 17, the SRA report said the RSSI outbreak has infested 2,931 hectares of sugar lands, affecting 1,594 farmers in 116 barangays across 21 towns and cities in Negros Occidental.
David Andrew Sanson, SRA board member and head of SRA’s Task Force on RSSI, thanked Lacson for the declaration, which will significantly help farmers already reeling from Crising.
