Manila: The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) announced on Wednesday that the coconut scale insect (CSI), commonly referred to as 'cocolisap,' does not pose a threat to the country's coconut industry. The assurance comes despite the infestation affecting 516,962 coconut trees across regions including Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as of May 30.
According to Philippines News Agency, PCA Administrator Dexter Buted emphasized that the affected trees represent a mere 0.15 percent of the nation's total 345 million coconut trees. "Ito ay napakaliit na bahagi lamang ng kabuuan natin. Kaya maituturing natin na hindi ito isang banta sa pambansang antas (This is just a very small portion of the overall number. That's why we can consider that this is not a threat on a national level)," Buted stated.
The PCA has already treated 355,859 of the infested trees, estimating the damage from the infestation at PHP200 million. This situation is reminiscent of 2014 when the cocolisap infested over 2.4 million coconut trees in 916 barangays in Calabarzon and Basilan. Despite this, PCA Deputy Administrator Roel Rosales assured that the agency remains vigilant to prevent any potential spread that could disrupt coconut production.
On average, the Philippines produces approximately 15 million metric tons of coconut annually, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The PCA has implemented intervention measures including pruning, releasing biological control agents, and fertilization to combat the infestation. Additionally, the agency has intensified actions to eradicate the cocolisap and prevent its spread to other regions.
PCA has established checkpoints nationwide, collaborated with the University of the Philippines Los Ba±os (UPLB) for technical support, set up bio-control laboratories, and expedited the release of funds for operational needs. Deputy Administrator Lucius Jun-Jun Malsi announced a budget allocation of PHP94 million to tackle the local coconut industry's threats, with PHP60 million dedicated to CSI eradication and mitigation and PHP34 million for other pest diseases.
The PCA is also addressing the coconut spike moth infestation, which has affected 20,163 coconut palms in Calabarzon. The Department of Agriculture has committed to indemnifying affected farmers through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp, with more than 3,000 farmers estimated to be impacted in the 3,600 hectares of infested areas.
