Rubber tree disease outbreak hits Basilan

MANILA, Philippines —  The Basilan provincial government has expressed alarm over the spread of a disease affecting rubber trees in the province.

Gov. Jim Hataman Salliman said up to 800 hectares of rubber tree plantations were affected.

He said the disease may have originated from Sabah.

Salliman said the provincial agriculture office and experts from the Philippine Rubber Research Institute have been asked to study the possible treatment of the disease.

City agriculturist Esther Domingo told local radio station dxNO that infected trees have wilting or falling leaves.

Basilan has over 50,000 hectares of rubber tree plantations.

The province used to be the largest rubber-producing province followed by Zamboanga Sibugay and North Cotabato.