by John Michael Murillo
MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (Jan. 16)- The Miglamin Farmers Irrigators Association (MFIA) celebrated a successful Tilapia Harvest Field Day for the Tilapia Culture in Fish Cage Project under the regular program of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Northern Mindanao (BFAR-10) on January 15, 2025, in this city.
This initiative highlights aquaculture as an additional and sustainable source of income for the community.
The tilapia harvest was completed after five months of farming in freshwater fish cages, marking the inaugural implementation of such a project in the city.
Before the harvest, a short program was held at the Barangay Session Hall of Miglamin, Malaybalay City, to commemorate this milestone.
Alfonsus M. Gonzaga, Aquaculturist II of the Provincial Fisheries Office in Bukidnon (PFO-Bukidnon), gave an overview of the project where the BFAR-10 provided farm inputs including fingerlings, feeds, supplies, materials for fish cage establishment, and technical assistance.
Further, Gonzaga presented the project’s harvest data, which recorded 224.25 kilograms of tilapia.
Messages of support and encouragement were conveyed by City Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran, represented by Executive Assistant John Valmores, along with City Councilors Erwin Damasco and Cromwell Kiril Dinlayan, City Agriculturist Richard Leono, Barangay Captain Alfonso Inocando, and PFO of Bukidnon, Gekie Sy.
In response, MFIA President Remy CastaΓ±ares expressed his gratitude to the city officials and BFAR-10.
βSa kanunay magapadayun unta inubanan pud lagi sa suporta sa taga BFAR, ug sa City LGU, uban City Agriculture nga unta, kami pud nga taga Barangay Miglamin kung puhon dili sab mi maglisud sa among mga panud-an kay lagi ana-a ra mi mga fishpond. So, ako manghinaot nga unta apil sab pud nga mga taga-fisheries sa barangay Miglamin magapadayun aning programa, dili ta musurrender kay lagi pagsugod paman ni sya pero βkong manghinaot nga magapadayun,β said CastaΓ±ares.
(May this program continue with the support of BFAR, the City LGU, and the City Agriculture Office. We, in Barangay Miglamin, hope that in the future food will no longer be a challenge as we now have fishponds to sustain us. I also hope that the Barangay Fisheries in Miglamin will stay committed to this program and persist, as this is just the beginning of the implementation. Letβs strive to sustain the project.
The BFAR-10, through its PFO Bukidnon, reassured the group that it remains dedicated to enhancing livelihoods and promoting sustainable aquaculture as a profitable and self-reliant venture for communities.
The event concluded with the sale of the harvested tilapia, generating a total sale of Php 33,637.50, which will serve as capital for future livelihood initiatives. (JMMurillo//PFOBuk)
