Representatives from Universal Robina Corporation (URC) and small-scale sugarcane planters from Dingle and Calinog met with Gov. Arthur "Toto" Defensor Jr. to relay their concerns on the growing threat of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI).
The group was led by URC Sugar and Renewables-Passi Operations Manager Alexander Pino and Planter Partnership Manager Dearly Vincoy. Joining them are local planter representatives Ramsey Fernando of Dingle, and Nelfa Castillon and Sheila Marie Castigador, both hailing from Calinog.
The pest infestation has now spread across 23 municipalities, damaging more than 7,000 hectares of sugarcane plantation, based on reports from the Provincial Agriculture Office.
Governor Defensor shared that the provincial government will implement strict quarantine and biosecurity measures, similar to protocols used for African Swine Fever (ASF), to contain the pest's spread.
Furthermore, the governor directed Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Chief Cornelio Salinas to convene the provincial Civil Defense Cluster this Monday to finalize biosecurity protocols and industrial containment measures.