Scale insects also plaguing Laguna coconut plantations

This is a reaction to Jose Osias’s letter titled “Ways to perk up coco industry” (Opinion, 4/25/14). First of all, it is not only in the provinces of Batangas and Quezon where the scale insects, otherwise called as “cocolisap,” are ravaging coconut plantations. Coconut plantations in Laguna particularly the towns of Bay, Calauan and San Pablo City, as well as Nagcarlan, Luisiana, Cavinti, Sta. Cruz and Pagsanjan, are suffering from the pests.

Above all, I beg to disagree with Philippine Coconut Authority Administrator Euclides Forbes when he said over Radyo ng Bayan that only 1 percent of the coco plantations in the Calabarzon region are affected by the scale insects. On the contrary, I have observed that about 70 percent of our coco plantations in Calabarzon are under attack by the “cocolisap.”

Finally, I am quite apprehensive that if the “cocolisap” infestation will not be controlled, the coconut industry in our country would become a dead industry.

—CRISOSTOMO B. VILAR,

former vice mayor,

Pagsanjan, Laguna,

chair, Cocofed

(Pagsanjan Chapter)