GWAPA NGA PANGHIMANWA EXTENDS GRATITUDE TO HPCO AS JOINT FORCE TAKES AIM AGAINST RSSI INFESTATION
City Government of Talisay, Negros Occidental
Joint Action Meeting: Mayor Atty. Weng Lizares meets with Hawaiian-Philippine Company (HPCo) leadership to launch the RSSI infestation response plan.
Mayor Atty. Weng Lizares expresses his deep appreciation to the Hawaiian-Philippine Company (HPCo) for proactively stepping forward to safeguard Talisay City's vital sugarcane industry against the Red Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) infestation.
During a productive coordination meeting on the afternoon of August 24 at the Mayor's Conference Room, HPCo representatives — led by Farm Manager Boy Garido alongside CoGen and Regulatory Compliance Officer Noning Suasing — presented an eco-friendly, organic protocol developed in collaboration with international agricultural experts.
The strategy focuses on vulnerable sugarcane crops located within five meters of field perimeters and roadsides, where RSSI outbreaks most frequently originate.
Key Joint Initiatives
- Field Assessments: Conducting joint sampling to map pest density and pinpoint high-risk crop perimeters.
- Targeted Firetruck Spraying: Applying HPCo's donated organic Neem oil treatment along roadside borders using city municipal equipment.
- Detrashing Drive: Stripping dry, infested leaves to eliminate pest habitats and curb further migration.
With this collaborative partnership firmly established, the City Government of Talisay remains confident that these decisive measures will yield positive results, protecting the livelihoods of local planters and securing the future of the city's agricultural sector.
