Rats, rice black bugs infest Iloilo towns

CEBU, Philippines - Rats and rice black bugs infested several towns in the 3rd and 4th districts of Iloilo province a week after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration  officially declared the start of the dry or summer season.

Iloilo Provincial Agriculturist Ildefonso Toledo said the first damage report of these pests came from Ajuy town and other neighboring towns but the population of these pests was immediately controlled.

Toledo said they are confident that the pests will no longer spread because they have organized a Bantay Peste task force in each town to help monitor and control the pests.

He advised farmers not to panic because these rats could be eliminated by manual trapping while bugs can be eradicated by light trap or biological control. “Most of our farmers are well-trained so we have nothing to worry about it,” he said.

Toledo added these pests mostly strike every summer season. Last year, 18 towns were infested by these pests but the PAO said the damage was very minimal and could not affect the total rice production of the province.

Presently, the PAO is continued monitoring and conduct orientation to the local government units in Iloilo. —(FREEMAN)