MANILA – The governor of Albay in the Bicol Region in Luzon has sounded the alarm over the widespread devastation wrought by rats on thousands of hectares of riceland in the province.
Governor Joey Salceda revealed his office continues to receive reports of the unabated destruction of rice crops, which are ready for harvesting, by millions of rats that have invaded the farmlands in many towns of the province.
Salceda is acknowledged as one of the closest and most trusted advisers of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Salceda said if the infestation is not stopped, this would affect the program he launched to make Albay self-sufficient in rice.
“The infestation threatens our food security investment which paid off in 2008 when Albay became a major rice producer from being an importer of the cereal which cost the provincial government the equivalent of $50 million a year,” the governor said.
One of the areas affected areas, Salceda said, is the capital city of Legazpi which has become a major tourist attraction because of Mayon Volcano, described as having the world’s most perfect cone.
According to Salceda, the other areas affected by the rat infestation are Ligao City as well as the towns of Oas, Libon, Polangui, Camalig and Daraga.
As part of the program, he revealed that several mayors of the affected towns have started offering monetary rewards for every tail of rat killed and brought by residents participating in the campaign to rid the province of the menace.
Salceda cited the example set by the town of Polangui where the mayor is his father. He said the municipal government offered a cash reward of about two US cents for every tail of rat killed.
In addition, he said he ordered the office of the provincial agriculturist to increase the purchase of chemicals to be distributed to the farmers and residents of the areas most affected by the rat infestation.
A local farmer in the town of Oas, Doy Zaragoza, 58, lamented that due to the infestation he harvested only less than half of the average 200 sacks of palay (unmilled rice) which he usually got from one hectare of the 2.5 hectares of land he had planted to rice.
The same sad tale was relayed by farmers from the town of Camalig where some factors succeeded only in harvesting 20 sacks of palay per hectare due to the heavy destruction wrought by the rats.
But an aide of Salceda, who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to media on the issue, said the governor is not keen on asking the Albay provincial board to declare a state of calamity
The declaration of a state of calamity will allow the provincial government to use its calamity reserve funds to cope with the rat infestation, the aide explained.
The aide added Salceda still believes the provincial government can manage to solve the problem without declaring a state of calamity.
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