The Davao City Agriculturist Office (CAGRO) has completed the distribution of 125,000 tilapia fingerlings to the agricultural districts in the highlands of Davao City on Friday, June 10, 2022. This is the first of four rounds of fingerling distributions that will be carried out this year by the CAGRO to the eight agricultural districts of Tugbok, Baguio, Calinan, Marilog, Toril, Paquibato, Bunawan, and Talomo.
The project aims to provide residents in areas that are far from the coasts and sea resources with fish supply in a bid to promote food security. The 2022 budget for the fingerling distribution program is around P4 million.
CAGRO Officer-in-Charge Mr. Leo Brian Leuterio told the City Information Office by phone on Friday that the project is part of the department’s regular programs that are less reliant on national assistance as the local government gives more emphasis on food security efforts in far-flung areas.
“This is part of our regular program. We have fisheries programs not just in coastal areas but also in communities in the highlands … It is for food security, food production; and we do this regularly,” he said.
The tilapia fingerlings were handed over to pond-owners in the eight agricultural districts of the city. The districts of Marilog, Baguio, and Paquibato were each allocated with 22,500 tilapia fingerlings; Calinan got 25,000 fingerlings; Tugbok with 13,750; Toril with 6,250; Talomo with 5,000; and Buhangin-Bunawan (BuhBun) with 7,500. The fingerlings were distributed across various barangays in these districts.
Each bag of fingerlings, which contains 500 juvenile tilapias, can yield pond-owners a profit of P4,000 after 4-5 months.
Meanwhile, the CAGRO is also preparing the distribution of 150,000 catfish fingerlings to the same districts next week. CIO
