A tiny insect has Iloilo’s sugarcane farms under strict quarantine

ILOILO CITY — Sugarcane planting materials and farm equipment moving across Iloilo will face stricter controls under province-wide quarantine and biosecurity measures ordered by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. to contain the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI).

Under Executive Order (EO) No. 143, signed Oct. 16, the provincial government will classify sugarcane-producing areas by infestation severity and restrict the movement of planting materials, machinery, and hauling equipment accordingly.

The order came a day after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved a province-wide state of calamity due to the infestation.

The infestation has affected 9,491 farmers and 10,342.72 hectares of agricultural land across 27 local government units (LGUs).

The pest has hit the Visayas sugar belt before. As of Sept. 2, 2025, the Sugar Regulatory Administration recorded 4,324 hectares of sugarcane farms destroyed across the region, with Negros Occidental accounting for 4,113 hectares, The Philippine Star reported.

Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) data as of Oct. 5 placed estimated sugarcane production losses at PHP 1.18 billion, including PHP 122.47 million in totally damaged production and PHP 1.059 billion in partially damaged crops.

Under the new rules, areas will be classified into four zones based on the extent of crop damage.

The strictest controls will apply to red zones, where severe to extreme damage affects at least 50% of validated sugarcane hectarage.

Orange zones have damage affecting 20% to 49%, while yellow zones have damage affecting less than 20%.

Green zones cover areas with no confirmed infestation or only slight damage, classified as below 10%.

The movement of sugarcane materials from red zones will require disinfection, a valid certificate, and written clearance from the PAO and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

Materials from orange zones will require disinfection and certification, while materials from yellow zones will be subject to disinfection requirements, including certification for those entering sugar mills.

Certificates will be valid for seven days.

Sugar mills throughout the province must install disinfection stations at entry and exit points and check the required documents before accepting sugarcane materials from affected zones.

The PAO, in coordination with the SRA and the Bureau of Plant Industry, will review zone classifications monthly or when surveillance results warrant changes.

The order also makes the Hugas, Idid, Nunò, Libot, and Obserba (HINLO) Protocol mandatory for farmers, farm workers, nursery operators, and agricultural service providers.

The acronym spells hinlo, the Hiligaynon word for clean.

The five-step protocol covers equipment disinfection, removal of infested plant materials, treatment of planting materials, application of biological control agents around work areas, and documentation of field activities.

Farmers in red and orange zones must apply approved biological control agents after field operations.

The order prioritizes biological pest management over chemical intervention. It prohibits the use of drones to apply chemical pesticides but allows drone-assisted application of approved biological agents and foliar fertilizers.

To enforce the restrictions, Defensor created a Provincial RSSI Task Force to coordinate surveillance, quarantine enforcement, and recovery efforts.

He will chair the body, which will replace the existing HINLAS Provincial Response and Management Team and absorb its functions.

The provincial agriculturist will serve as vice chair under normal conditions, while the provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer will serve as co-vice chair during a state of calamity.

Each city and municipality must also establish a quick response team.

Municipal agriculture offices must conduct weekly inspections and report newly detected infestations within 24 hours.

The order links recovery assistance to compliance with biosecurity requirements.

Farmers may receive technical support, pest management assistance, and rehabilitation aid, but those found violating the rules will be given 30 days to comply before their eligibility for assistance is reassessed.

The province will also establish a nursery program to supply certified, pest-free planting materials for replanting.

Farmers validated as affected by RSSI must enroll in either the provincial SIGURADO crop insurance program or an eligible Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation program.

Quarantine restrictions may be downgraded only after a 60-day monitoring period following treatment and validation that crop damage has fallen below 10%.

Authorities must confirm the absence of active infestation before restrictions can be fully lifted.

Funding will come from available provincial agriculture appropriations, disaster risk reduction and management funds, Quick Response Fund allocations, and national government assistance, subject to existing regulations.

The order also cited a PHP 35 million national government intervention package for Western Visayas covering drone operations, chemical spraying, and farmer assistance.

RSSI, scientifically known as Pulvinaria tenuivalvata, feeds on sugarcane sap, weakening plants and promoting sooty mold growth.

It completes its life cycle in about 60 to 63 days, with each female capable of laying 197 to 200 eggs, allowing infestations to spread rapidly.

Sugarcane planters have estimated production declines of 30% to 50% in heavily infested areas.

EO 143 will remain in effect until revoked or amended.