A rapidly spreading infestation of a destructive pest is threatening the health of thousands of hectares of crops in Western Visayas. And it has officials scrambling to prevent it from spiraling out of control.
What's happening?
Western Visayas is an administrative region in the Philippines, which is often designated as Region VI. The region is comprised of the islands of Panay and Guimaras. Western Visayas boasts a healthy agricultural industry that plays a crucial role in the region's local economy. Some of its most significant crops include rice, corn, and sugarcane.
However, the region is now facing an ongoing infestation of the red-striped soft scale insect, also known as Pulvinaria tenuivalvata. The pest is primarily a nuisance to sugarcane, attacking the leaves of the plant. This often causes yellowing and potentially leads to leaf scorching. These pests can then suck the plant's sap, leading to reduced sugar content and crop yield.
Sugarcane is widely regarded as Western Visayas' top crop. According to a report from Panay News, sugarcane production in the region grew by over 50% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year. Production has ballooned from around 820,000 tons to over 1.2 million tons.
The red-striped soft scale insect can then "excrete honeydew," which promotes the growth of sooty mold, further impeding photosynthesis, causing the leaves to appear black and unhealthy. In severe cases, infestations can even result in complete yield loss.
Why is the red-striped soft scale insect important?
As reported by the Inquirer, one of the biggest concerns of the red-striped soft scale insect is the rapid rate of its infestation. The pest managed to wreak havoc on over 1,500 in just three weeks.
According to Pablo Luis Azcona, an administrator with the Sugar Regulatory Administration, the area hit hardest by the infestation is Negros Occidental. The province has seen 1,490 hectares of sugarcane land impacted by the red-striped soft scale insect.
"While this is still a fraction of sugar cane fields, the rapid spread is worrisome and I believe that the real data can even be bigger as there are farms that have started their own remedy without reporting the matter to SRA," Azcona told the Inquirer.
Pests and diseases can significantly impact agricultural crops, especially if infestations are allowed to spread. Uncontrolled infestations can lead to substantial yield losses and economic damage worth millions of dollars in trade losses. These issues affect food security, livelihoods, and economies far outside the directly impacted region.
What's being done about the red-striped soft scale insect infestation?
Despite the sprawling infestation in Negros Occidental, Azcona noted that 97 hectares impacted by the red-striped soft scale insect actually showed signs of improvement. But Azcona pointed out that the efforts to tackle the infestation can't stop there.
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"We are also urging the local government units, especially in highly infested areas, to declare a state of calamity as this will help us in expediting procurement of pesticides that can be immediately distributed to help abate this infestation," said Azcona.
The Department of Agriculture in the Philippines approved a P10-million budget, or just over $175,000, in order to fight the spread of the red-striped soft scale insect. This will be used to purchase pesticides, especially for areas affected by the pest the most.
"It can spread quickly from one field to another if left unmanaged," Azcona added. "We have to stop the infestation because majority of the sugar supply is from Negros. We have about 250,000 hectares planted to sugarcane."
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