ROXAS CITY, Capiz — A tiny pest is creating a massive agricultural crisis in Capiz.
The province has been placed under a State of Calamity after a severe infestation of the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) damaged thousands of hectares of sugarcane plantations and raised fears that the pest could eventually threaten other crops, including rice and corn.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved the declaration during a special session on August 10, 2026, following the recommendation of Governor Fredenil H. Castro and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).
More than 3,300 hectares affected
The scale of the infestation is significant.
According to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, RSSI had affected 3,331.61 hectares of sugarcane plantations in Capiz as of August 10. That represents 76.68 percent of the province’s reported 4,345.10 hectares of sugarcane plantations.
Of the affected area, 118.19 hectares were totally damaged, while 3,213.14 hectares were partially damaged, according to the provincial data cited by PIA.
The infestation has affected 1,819 sugarcane planters in 11 municipalities: Cuartero, Dao, Dumalag, Dumarao, Jamindan, Maayon, Panitan, Pilar, Pontevedra, President Roxas and Sigma.
The largest affected areas were recorded in:
- Pontevedra — 890.61 hectares
- Pilar — 729.24 hectares
- Sigma — 565.72 hectares
These numbers show why provincial officials are treating the infestation as more than an ordinary farm pest problem.
Why RSSI is causing alarm
The red-striped soft scale insect is a sap-sucking pest that attacks plants and weakens their ability to grow normally. Previous agricultural reports have warned that RSSI can seriously damage sugarcane and contribute to the development of black sooty mold, which can interfere with photosynthesis.
The concern in Capiz now goes beyond sugarcane.
Provincial officials have warned that continued spread could put corn and rice at risk, potentially expanding the agricultural and economic consequences of the infestation.
The warning is particularly important for farming communities because damage to crops can translate into reduced income for growers, losses throughout the agricultural supply chain and additional pressure on local food production.
Capiz creates RSSI task force
In response, Governor Castro signed Executive Order No. 23, creating an RSSI Task Force that will lead efforts to prevent, control and immediately eradicate the infestation.
The provincial government has also asked Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. for financial assistance for affected farmers, while the Department of Agriculture is working on appropriate interventions to contain the pest.
The province is also preparing a registry of sugarcane planters and farmers. Officials said the registry is intended to help ensure that assistance reaches legitimate beneficiaries and prevent duplication in beneficiary lists.
The problem is bigger than Capiz
Capiz’s declaration comes amid a broader RSSI problem affecting sugarcane-producing areas in the Visayas.
Earlier reports from the Philippine News Agency noted that RSSI had already been recorded in Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Oriental, underscoring that the pest has become a regional concern for the sugar industry.
Recent regional reporting has likewise described serious agricultural impacts in neighboring Western Visayas provinces, reinforcing concerns that coordinated action may be necessary rather than isolated responses by individual local governments.
For Capiz, however, the immediate priority is clear: stop the infestation from spreading further, protect farmers whose livelihoods have already been hit and prevent the pest from moving into other major crops.
What happens next?
The State of Calamity declaration gives the provincial government a stronger mechanism to mobilize resources and intensify its response to the agricultural emergency.
But the biggest question now is whether authorities can contain RSSI before the damage spreads beyond sugarcane.
With more than three-quarters of Capiz’s reported sugarcane area already affected, the province is facing a race against time.
What began as an infestation in plantations has now become a province-wide agricultural emergency—and the next battle may be keeping RSSI away from the crops that put food on Filipino tables.
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