World · Philippines Bureau
DSWD distributes over P410M aid to sugarcane farmers hit by pest outbreak
The Department of Social Welfare and Development has released emergency cash transfers totaling P410.28 million to nearly 40,000 sugarcane farmers in Negros whose crops were damaged by red-striped soft scale insects.
LSN Philippines ·
BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR) has distributed P410.28 million in Emergency Cash Transfers (ECT) to 39,847 sugarcane farmers affected by red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI), Regional Director Arwin Razo announced Sunday.
The assistance aims to help farmers cope with losses sustained from the pest infestation that has impacted agricultural productivity across the region. The emergency cash transfers represent a significant relief measure for the affected farming communities in Negros, one of the country's major sugarcane-producing areas.
Razo indicated that additional disbursements would continue through the remainder of the year as the agency processes further applications and awaits additional allocations. The phased approach to the cash transfers is intended to ensure that qualified farmers receive assistance in a timely manner as documentation and verification processes are completed.
The DSWD has prioritized rapid deployment of resources to affected areas to minimize the economic hardship faced by farming families dependent on sugarcane production. Officials have not yet announced a timeline for completing the full distribution of assistance to all eligible beneficiaries impacted by the RSSI outbreak.