‘PHP 10,000 EACH’: DSWD vows Negros sugar workers get RSSI aid by year-end

BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) aims to complete the distribution of around PHP 1.9 billion in financial assistance to small sugarcane farmers and farm workers affected by the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation in the Negros Island Region (NIR) before the end of 2026.

Payouts have started in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, with the assistance released in tranches as beneficiaries are validated, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Tuesday in a media interview on the sidelines of the 2026 National Bayani Ka! cum Tatak Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Local Government Unit (LGU) Awards and the launch of the Performance-Based Grant for Sustainability (PBGS) at SM Sky Hall here.

The program has an indicative allocation of PHP 1.9 billion, with qualified beneficiaries set to receive around PHP 10,000 each, Gatchalian said.

The final number of recipients, however, will depend on the ongoing validation process, he said.

The agency is carrying out payouts manually in some areas to ensure that beneficiaries are properly validated, he added.

The DSWD expects the distribution to move quickly as validation progresses.

The RSSI payout program began earlier this year and is being implemented in phases, with the DSWD validating beneficiaries as the distribution proceeds.

The DSWD released the first emergency cash transfers on July 29 in Talisay and San Carlos cities in Negros Occidental, with each qualified small farmer or farm worker receiving PHP 10,325.

Small farmers are those whose sugarcane holdings do not exceed five hectares, with local government agriculture offices identifying affected farmers and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) cross-checking the lists.

Gatchalian assured sugarcane farmers and farm workers that the DSWD will continue supporting them.

“Rest assured, the DSWD has more than enough funds to last until the end of the year,” Gatchalian said.

As of Sept. 18, the DSWD-NIR had released PHP 410.28 million in cash assistance to 39,847 sugarcane farmers affected by the RSSI in the region.

Negros Occidental received the bulk of the assistance, with PHP 352.74 million distributed to 34,164 farmers, while Negros Oriental released PHP 57.54 million to 5,683 farmers.

Gatchalian said assistance will also continue for other affected communities, including victims of previous disasters and calamities, with priority given to the needs of poor and marginalized sectors.

The RSSI (Pulvinaria elongata) attaches to sugarcane leaves and stalks and feeds on plant sap, and heavy infestations produce honeydew that promotes sooty mold, resulting in stunted growth and reduced cane yield, according to the DSWD Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center.

Negros Occidental declared a state of calamity over the outbreak, which prompted the national government to course cash relief through the DSWD.

Before the Sky Hall activity, Gatchalian led the launch of the digital payout of the second tranche of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) assistance at the Bacolod City Government Center, where city officials led by Mayor Greg Gasataya welcomed him.