Cadang-cadang is a disease caused by Coconut cadang-cadang viroid (CCCVd), a lethal viroid of coconut ("Cocos nucifera"), anahaw ("Saribus rotundifolius") buri ("Corypha utan"), and African oil palm ("Elaeis guineensis"). The name cadang-cadang comes from the word that means dying in Bicol. It was originally reported on San Miguel Island in the Philippines in 1927/1928. "By 1962, all but 100 of 250,000 palms on this island had died from the disease," indicating an epidemic. Every year one million coconut palms are killed by CCCVd and over 30 million coconut palms have been killed since Cadang-cadang has been discovered. CCCVd directly affects the production of copra, a raw material for coconut oil and animal feed. Total losses of about 30 million palms and annual yield losses of about 22,000 tons of copra have been attributed to Cadang-cadang disease in the Philippines.

Symptoms of cadang-cadang develop slowly over 8 to 15 years making it difficult to diagnose at an early time. There are three main “stages” of defined series of characteristics: early, medium, and late stages. The first symptoms in the early stage develop within two to four years of infection. These symptoms include scarification of the coconuts which also become rounded. The leaves (fronds) display bright yellow spots. About two years later, during the medium stage, the inflorescences become stunted and eventually killed, so no more coconuts are produced. Yellow spots are larger and in greater abundance to give the appearance of chlorosis. During the final stage, roughly 6 years after the first symptoms are recorded, the yellow/bronze fronds start to decrease in size and number. Finally, all the leaves coalesce, leaving just the trunk of the palm “standing like a telephone pole”.

Palms under 10 years of age are rarely affected by cadang-cadang; the incidence of disease increases until about 40 years of age and then plateaus. "No recovery has ever been observed, and the disease is always fatal". African oil palm has similar symptoms as coconut but also have orange spotting on palms.