ILOILO CITY, Philippines — More than 301,000 people across Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region have been affected by the worsening red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) outbreak, as government agencies race to protect sugarcane farmers and communities from deeper agricultural and economic losses.
The latest data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DSWD-DROMIC) showed that 301,084 individuals from 74,115 families across 909 barangays had been affected as of 6 a.m. on August 20.
The affected areas include Iloilo and Capiz in Western Visayas, and Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental in the Negros Island Region.
The DSWD has already released approximately ₱64.86 million in humanitarian assistance to affected families.
Despite the scale of the crisis, authorities reported no family displacement and no damage to houses, indicating that the emergency is primarily an agricultural and livelihood crisis rather than a disaster involving destroyed homes.
A pest threatening the sugar industry
The red-striped soft scale insect, or RSSI, is a sap-sucking pest that attacks sugarcane. It weakens plants and produces honeydew that encourages the growth of black sooty mold on the leaves, reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesize.
The resulting damage can stunt sugarcane growth, reduce cane yield and lower sugar content.
Agricultural experts and industry officials have warned that severe infestations could translate into significant losses for farmers and the broader sugar industry. Previous reports have indicated that RSSI can reduce sugar content by as much as 50% in heavily affected cane.
The pest was initially reported to have intensified in Panay, Capiz, beginning June 1, before spreading more widely in the Negros Island Region, one of the Philippines’ most important sugar-producing areas.
Visayas bears the brunt
The human impact comes as government data show how extensively RSSI has spread through sugarcane plantations.
The Department of Agriculture reported in July that 93,898 hectares of sugarcane nationwide had been affected, with 92,295 hectares located in the Visayas, particularly Negros Island and Western Visayas.
More than 12,700 farmers had already been identified as affected at that point.
A separate Philippine Star report, citing SRA data as of July 17, placed the affected sugarcane area in the Visayas at 30,591 hectares, underscoring how quickly the official figures were changing as field validation expanded.
The differing figures reflect the rapidly changing situation and differences in reporting dates, validation and geographic coverage. They should therefore not be treated as contradictory measurements from the same reporting period.
Government launches massive response
The national government has stepped up its response as the infestation threatens farmers’ incomes and the country’s sugar supply.
The Department of Agriculture and Sugar Regulatory Administration have allocated ₱35 million for chemical spraying and drone operations, initially targeting 25,000 hectares. Officials said the operation could be expanded to 40,000 to 45,000 hectares or more if the infestation worsens.
Drones are being used for aerial spraying, while ground operations will also involve backpack sprayers and spray equipment.
The Philippine Air Force is also expected to provide a C-130 aircraft to transport chemicals, while private-sector partners have offered drones to assist with the spraying campaign.
Farmers to receive cash assistance
The government is also providing direct financial assistance to affected farmers.
The DA and DSWD announced assistance of ₱10,000 for each validated affected farmer, with more than 12,300 farmers already validated at the time of the announcement.
The government was seeking additional funding to expand the assistance to as many as 20,000 beneficiaries.
In Negros Occidental, authorities have also begun releasing additional cash assistance to affected sugarcane farmers, while local governments have intensified pest-control operations.
Iloilo also faces growing pressure
The infestation has become a major concern in Iloilo, where provincial authorities are coordinating with the DA, SRA, sugar mills and sugarcane planters.
Provincial data cited by the Philippine Information Agency showed that 7,021 hectares of Iloilo’s 20,749.88 hectares of sugarcane plantations were affected by RSSI as of July 20.
Authorities are working on additional control and preventive measures as they assess the pest’s impact on agriculture and local livelihoods.
Government turns to biological controls
Authorities are not relying solely on chemical spraying.
The SRA has been developing biological control agents, including beneficial fungi, as a longer-term strategy against RSSI.
The DA has ordered the accelerated production of these biological controls, although officials acknowledge that current production capacity remains far below what would be needed to treat the affected areas quickly.
The government is also exploring technology—including drones, geotagging and artificial intelligence—to improve early detection and monitoring of future pest outbreaks.
The bigger concern: what happens to sugar production?
The RSSI outbreak is no longer viewed as an isolated farm problem.
With Negros Island and Western Visayas accounting for a substantial share of the country’s sugar production, prolonged crop damage could affect farmers, farm workers, mills and communities that depend on the sugar industry.
Industry officials have already warned of the possibility of a sharp decline in future sugar production if the pest is not contained. The United Federation of Sugar Producers previously warned that uncontrolled RSSI could push national production significantly lower, with Negros Island particularly vulnerable because of its importance to the country’s sugar sector.
For now, authorities are fighting on two fronts: containing the pest in the fields and protecting the families whose livelihoods depend on those fields.
And with more than 301,000 people already counted among those affected, the scale of the crisis is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
The question now is whether the government’s emergency response can move faster than the pest itself.
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