NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A lingering infestation of the destructive coconut scale insect, or cocolisap, has damaged thousands of trees in the northern part of Negros Occidental, with agriculture officials citing the recent Kanlaon Volcano eruption as a major factor behind the failure to contain the pest early on.
The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) said on Thursday, June 26, that cocolisap had destroyed at least 2,030 coconut trees in the villages of Codcod, Quezon, Prosperidad, Nataban and Rizal in San Carlos City, and spread to the nearby town of Don Salvador Benedicto.
The infestation was first detected in 2024 in Sitio Napaturan, Barangay Codcod, a remote area near the foot of Kanlaon Volcano. But PCA acting provincial head Jean Alisna said local officials discouraged the agency from accessing the area for safety reasons, hampering early intervention efforts and allowing the pest to spread.
PCA also found the pest had spread to banana and mangosteen plantations.
Agriculture officials are now scrambling to contain the infestation.
A destructive sap-sucking insect, cocolisap infests coconut trees and other host plants, causing leaf yellowing, reduced nut production, and in severe cases, tree death. The pest, which resembles tiny fish scales and is commonly found on the undersides of coconut leaves, is believed to reproduce rapidly, with a life cycle that completes in about 30 days.
Albert Barrogo, director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Negros Island Region, told Rappler on Friday, June 27, that authorities are studying three possible approaches to contain the outbreak. These include cutting and burning infested trees, mass breeding of the pest’s natural enemies such as parasitoids, and the use of regulated chemical pesticides.
The San Carlos City government has opted for the chemical approach, Alisna said, to prevent the pest from spreading to neighboring areas. The PCA has also teamed up with the city government’s agriculture office to intensify border controls between localities in Negros Occidental and adjacent Negros Oriental.
One area under tight watch is the town of Calatrava, 51 kilometers west of San Carlos and home to the largest coconut plantation in the province, with 811,922 full-grown trees. If cocolisap reaches Calatrava, officials warn it could devastate the local coconut industry, including the production of salvaro, a local heritage delicacy. Salvaro, a soft, coconut-filled bread baked in traditional clay ovens, is a staple in San Carlos and Calatrava.
Aside from food, the coconut industry also supports livelihoods in San Carlos. Local artisans turned entrepreneurs create coconut-based souvenir items, sold primarily on the city’s Sipaway Island. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI_ has supported these initiatives.
With the outbreak threatening both agriculture and tourism, the DA, PCA, DTI, and Department of Tourism have expressed concern over its economic impact.
Nationwide, PCA said more than 500,000 coconut trees – about 0.15% of the 345 million trees across the country – have been damaged by cocolisap in the first six months of 2025, with infestations reported in Western and Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
In 2023, between April and August, cocolisap damaged over 6,000 trees in Murcia, La Castellana, Bago, and La Carlota in Negros Occidental, according to reports from the provincial government and DA. – Rappler.com