Maitum beneficiaries received a total of 25,000 tilapia fingerlings, while Kiamba and Maasim each received 10,000 tilapia and 10,000 hito fingerlings.

The 25 backyard fish farmers in Maitum each received 1,000 pieces or 2 bags of tilapia fingerlings, while 10 recipients of tilapia and another 10 identified recipients of hito in both Kiamba and Maasim were also given 2 bags each.

This is under the Food Production Enhancement Project, High-Value Crops and Support to Aquaculture and Capture Fisheries project of Governor Rogelio “Ruel” D. Pacquiao.

“This project is about food production and one of the components in fisheries is support to aquaculture, at ito yung provision natin of fingerlings and feeds to backyard fish farmers, to give them some inputs when it comes to fisheries,” said Ronnie Lariosa, provincial fishery coordinator of OPAG.

Lariosa said the beneficiaries were mainly endorsed by the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist and the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office of the seven municipalities and were also validated by the OPAG.

“Isa sa requirements is dapat naka-register sila sa Fisherfolks Registration at tsaka ‘yung iba naman sa RSBSA natin or the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, so ‘yun ang basis natin,” he added.

Herminigildo Jacinto, 61, a backyard fish farmer from Poblacion, Kiamba expressed his thanks to the government “sa dakong suporta ug tabang nila sa amoa mga backyard fish farmer.”

Jacinto assured the government he will do his part as a beneficiary and also hoped that they will continue to support small fish farmers like him.

Orlan Purisima, a first-time tilapia fish farmer from Maitum, thanked the local government and vowed “hangtud sa makaya, among padakuon ni, atimanon ning mga isda.”

Lariosa only wished for “cooperation” on the part of the beneficiaries as partners of the government.

“Kapag mag-harvest na sila, mag-report sila kasi need natin yung data para sa food security natin to enhance kung ano pa ang dapat kailangan. Ang production nito is dapat naka-record talaga para ma-assess natin kung nakatulong ba talaga sa kanila ‘yung binibigay natin,” he further explained.

Lariosa also disclosed that each bag of 500 fingerlings has 50 pieces mortality allowance “if in case may mamatay na mga isda pag-transfer nila sa pond nila.”

He said the OPAG is set to distribute the rest of the fingerlings to the beneficiaries in the municipalities of Glan, Malapatan, Alabel, and Malungon on August 30. (Jori Mae R. Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)