By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos met with sugar industry stakeholders in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, on Friday to hear firsthand accounts of the damage caused by the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), as the pest infestation continues to threaten sugarcane production.
The First Lady’s meeting with industry representatives focused on the widespread destruction reported in sugarcane farms and the urgent need for a coordinated response from the government and affected sectors.
Negros Occidental Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez said Araneta-Marcos assured stakeholders that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would visit the province soon to personally address the problem.
Benitez said the First Lady wanted to gather information directly from those affected before reporting their concerns to the President.
He described the RSSI infestation as no longer merely a local agricultural problem but an issue that has already become a national concern.
“She came here to listen, but she also assured us that the President will come soon to address the problem and give commitments,” Benitez said.
The lawmaker said the First Lady also emphasized the importance of involving all sectors with a stake in the sugar industry in developing a response to the infestation.
Benitez called for politics to be set aside, saying government agencies, industry groups, farmers and other stakeholders must work together to find practical solutions.
He said the immediate objective is to establish a unified action plan against RSSI, with specific commitments from government agencies and other concerned sectors.
A timetable for the proposed measures is also expected to emerge soon, with Benitez saying developments could be announced next week once the framework and action plan have been finalized.
The meeting came as sugar-producing areas in Negros Occidental continue to grapple with the impact of RSSI, which has caused extensive damage to sugarcane plantations.
For the industry, the First Lady’s intervention and the expected visit of the President could provide a stronger push for a coordinated government response to an infestation that threatens farmers, production, and the wider sugar sector.
ia/xf
