Black Bugs in Aurora Province

Black bugs were monitored in the towns of San Luis, Ma. Aurora, Baler, Dipaculao, Dinalungan, Casiguran and Dilasag in Aurora province. The infestation has spared only one Aurora town, Dingalan, which is separated by mountains from the central province.

In Casiguran, where the problem was described to be worse since the bugs destroyed at least 355 hectares of rice farms, municipal agriculturist Helideliza Vicente said a state of calamity had been declared in Barangays Tinib, Calangcuasan, Lual, Esperanza, Calantas, Marikit, Tabas Esteves and Calabgan.

Last week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) established quarantine checkpoints in Bongabon in Nueva Ecija, and Madella and Casteñeda in Nueva Vizcaya. The DA has not yet banned rice buying in Aurora.