The Davao City Agriculturist’s Office (CAgrO) is teaching fisherfolk how to turn unsold tilapia into a value-added product, giving fish farmers an alternative in order to reduce post-harvest losses and potentially increase their income.
The CAgrO conducted Fishery Post-Harvest Technology Training on Tilapia Lamayo during the 63rd FishCon Week in Barangay Bato, Toril on Wednesday, following similar sessions held in Barangay Callawa on September 9, 2026 and Barangay Talomo River in Calinan District on September 10, 2026.
A total of 120 participants joined the three training sessions, which focused on proper fish handling, preparation, salting, drying, sanitation and food safety.
CAgrO Aquacultural Technologist Jonifer Ypon Jr. said the training aims to help fish farmers avoid losses when fresh tilapia fails to sell at the desired price.
“Gina conduct nato ni nga training kay para ang katung mga fish farmers nga dili mahalin ang ilahang tilapia ug para mas ma extend pa ang life sa tilapia nga dili siya madaot lang, pwede nila ni siya iprocess gamit ang Tilapia Lamayo ug at the same time, dili sila mag loss sa ilahang tilapia, mag increase pa ang ilahang kita kay naka processed naman siya,” he said.
Ypon explained that Tilapia Lamayo is produced by marinating quality tilapia in a mixture of vinegar, salt, garlic, pepper and, in some preparations, sugar before drying the fish under the sun or using a dehydrator.
The process extends the fish’s shelf life while adding value to the harvest, allowing farmers to sell it as a processed product instead of disposing of or selling fresh tilapia at a low price.
The training also included hands-on demonstrations designed to equip participants with practical skills that they can apply in their own fish production and processing activities.
Ypon said the initiative comes as Davao City continues to support local tilapia production.
He added that as of August 2026, the city had distributed 389,200 tilapia fingerlings to farmers.
He said the availability of post-harvest processing skills gives farmers another option as production expands, particularly when fresh fish supply exceeds immediate market demand.
Ypon said Dabawenyo farmers may request free tilapia fingerlings through their respective barangays, which will coordinate with the city agriculture office for distribution to those establishing new fish ponds or expanding existing ones.
He said by promoting processing and value addition alongside fish production, CAgrO is encouraging fisherfolk to look beyond selling fresh harvests and explore additional ways to earn from the same farm output.
