The Baclayen Fisherfolk Association in Gregorio del Pilar, Ilocos Sur, received significant support from DA-BFAR to bolster their aquaculture operations.

On January 31, 2025, they received 50,000 tilapia fry through the DA-BFAR Specialized Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Phase II program, awarded by BFAR Regional Director Rosario Segundina P. Gaerlan. These high-quality tilapia fry will be reared until they reach the fingerling stage, then sold locally to increase income and improve food security within the community.

The fisherfolk association expressed deep gratitude for the on-going support from the SAAD program. FA president Jeremy Bintor said, “Agyaman kami iti BFAR iti suporta nga inpaay yu manen iti asosayson mi, dakkel manen daytuy a tulong kas mainayon iti pondo mi nga asosasyon tapno sadjay addan tu usaren mi nga pang roll mi iti daytuy a project.” (“We are grateful for the continued support that BFAR provides to our association. This is a great help to us as it will increase our funds, which we will use to sustain and roll over this project”.)

Likewise, the Municipal Agriculture Office extended its appreciation for the assistance provided. “Lubos kaming nagpapasalamat sa BFAR at sa SAAD na pinamumunuan ni Regional Director Rosario Segundina P. Gaerlan…sa walang-sawang pagsuporta sa ating mga fisherfolk. Napakagandang oportunidad ito upang mapalakas ang aquaculture sa ating bayan at mabigyan ng mas matatag na hanapbuhay ang ating mga mamamayan. Sana po huwag po kayong magsawa sa amin, at ma-achieve ng asosasyon ang target natin na mapaunlad ang kabuhayan ng bawat isa. Sana marami pang maging benepisyaryo ng proyektong ito.”, said Municipal Agriculturist Luis Gannad.

Further support came through a Memorandum of Agreement with the association for the KADIWA Grant program, witnessed personally by their local chief executive.

This provided the association with 100 kilograms milkfish for sale within the community, serving as start-up capital for marketing activities.

With continued assistance and training from BFAR, the fisherfolk of Gregorio Del Pilar are committed to strengthening their aquaculture ventures and ensuring a stable income source for their community.

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐀-𝐁𝐅𝐀𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝟐:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞- 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬- 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐃𝐀-𝐁𝐅𝐀𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐀𝐃) 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝟐 𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐀 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐅𝐀𝐑-𝐒𝐀𝐀𝐃 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.