08/09/2026
𝗗𝗔-𝗥𝗙𝗢 𝗫𝗜𝗜 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗗-𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗙𝗧 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗜𝗢, 𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗔𝗡 𝗞𝗨𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗧
In response to the current infestation of Red-Stripped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) in sugarcane areas in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office XII , through its concerned offices and partner agencies, conducted a biological control spraying operation on September 8, 2026, at Upper Lomoyon, Columbio, Sultan Kudarat.
The intervention aims to immediately reduce the RSSI population, contain its spread, and prevent further damage to sugarcane production. Approximately 80 hectares of infested sugarcane areas are targeted for spraying as part of the coordinated biological control intervention. The OPVET Sultan Kudarat disinfection tank was utilized to facilitate the spraying operation in the affected areas.
According to RCPC Chief 𝐃𝐫. 𝐑𝐚𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐳, “𝑀𝑎ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑔𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑛𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑝 𝑛𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑘𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙 𝑠𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑑-𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑜𝑓𝑡 𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑢𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑖 𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑎 𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑘𝑠𝑦𝑜𝑛. 𝑆𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑛 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑦𝑜𝑛 𝑛𝑔 𝑅𝑆𝑆𝐼 𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑜𝑔 𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑘𝑡𝑖𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑔𝑎 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑜.”
The DA-RFO XII Regulatory Division, headed by 𝐃𝐫. 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐥 𝐃𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐧, has further intensified pest surveillance and monitoring activities for RSSI in sugarcane-producing areas. Strict monitoring of the movement and transport of sugarcane planting materials is also being implemented to minimize the risk of further spread of the infestation to other areas.
The Integrated Laboratories Division (ILD) Chief, 𝐃𝐫. 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧, also expressed support for the biological control spraying activities in both infested and non-infested areas as part of the broader effort to manage and contain RSSI.
The activity underscores the importance of strong inter-agency coordination among the 𝐃𝐀-𝐑𝐅𝐎 𝐗𝐈𝐈 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧–𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐈𝐋𝐃-𝐑𝐂𝐏𝐂), 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐒𝐑𝐀), 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐨.
Through science-based interventions, strengthened surveillance, and sustained collaboration among concerned agencies and local government units, DA-RFO XII continues to work toward protecting sugarcane production, safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods, and containing the spread of RSSI in affected areas.