Brontispa infestation now alarming, PCA
By Jani Arnaiz
March 17, 2010
MAASIN CITY – The Philippine Coconut Authority in the province has declared the brontispa longissima (coconut leaf beetle) infestation on coconut trees as alarming and blames coconut levy funds diversion and slashed budget as culprits.
Manuel Sembrano, provincial manager of PCA said the infestation is already alarming and that it needs the cooperation of the stakeholders.
“It is already alarming but we have limited funds to control it,” Sembrano said in a media forum radio program over station DYDM. “We need at least P1 million to totally eradicate the coconut leaf beetle.”
He said the amount will be used to buy or rent at least one vehicle, procurement of insecticides and provisions of the technicians and volunteers.
According to Sembrano, “Brontispa longissima is an invasive pest introduced to the country, in early 2004 via importation of ornamental palms. It causes great damage to seedlings and mature coconut trees and ornamental palms that could kill the young and eventually the whole tree if not treated.”
The PCA official added that it is already alarming considering that of the 70 villages in the city, 14 villages which they have so far inspected have been affected.
He said they are calling the farmers to report to them any symptoms that affected their trees, like yellowish leaves or that become brown.
In Maasin alone, at least 4,050 coconut bearing and non-bearing has been affected in 14 villages the PCA has already inspected. There are 70 villages in the city.
Brontispa has 2-3 months lifespan measuring 7-10 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width but con produce from 50 to 100 eggs.
Sembrano said around 50,000 hectares in the province are planted with coconut.
After the abaca plantation, the number one produce of the province, has been wiped out by bunchy top disease, coconut, the other major produce, may go down the abaca way, said Sembrano, because of the meager budget these two government agencies both attached to Agriculture department, received from the national coffer.
He said there are only seven technicians in the PCA to serve the entire province.
Coconut levy fund
Sembrano disclosed that about 10,000 seedlings directly given free by an NGO through the city government without passing the PCA were carrying the pests.
“Because they (other department) lost confidence with the PCA, funds from Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) which were taken from the coconut levy has been diverted to the NGOs,” Sembrano said adding that these funds are supposed to be channeled thru their office for planting and replanting program.
He, however, decline how other agencies lost confidence in their office.
He said what happened is that they could no longer inspect the seedlings. The infested seedlings came from a nursery in Alejos village in Bato, Leyte, where coconut trees were already dying because of the brontispa.
“The entire PCA in the country is operating on a meager budget of P150 million. We used to receive P350 million but P200 million was slashed in our budget,” he said.
