SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 07 November) – A farmer in Barangay Sto. Niño, Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur has turned the 600-square meter plot behind his house into a flourishing tilapia farm.
What started as a backyard experiment in 2023 for Recto Casimero has now benefited not only him but also his community.
He said it all started when he decided to join the Upland Sustainable Agri-forestry Development (USAD) program.
USAD, the flagship anti-poverty initiative of the provincial government, provided Casimero with technical guidance, starter feeds, and tilapia fingerlings when he decided to engage in aquaculture.
“The technical staff were quick to respond to my problems,” he said. “Their support gave me the courage to keep going even when I was still learning.”
From that single pond, Casimero has expanded his operation to nine ponds covering 4,400 square meters in just two years. He now earns at least ₱42,000 a month from his regular harvests and reinvests his income into expanding the business.
“I use my earnings to hire people in our area,” he said. “That way, my progress also becomes theirs.”
Casimero’s growing success has allowed him to buy equipment and even a four-wheel vehicle, things he thought he couldn’t acquire. “My life has really changed,” he said. “I never thought fish could take me this far.”
As demand grew, Casimero encountered one major problem – a shortage of tilapia fingerlings. Instead of slowing down, he decided to solve it himself by building a tilapia hatchery, which will open by January next year.
Once operational, the hatchery is expected to produce up to 150,000 fingerlings monthly, providing a reliable supply for local growers and reducing dependence on suppliers from outside the province.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources helped provide tilapia breeders, while USAD continues to assist him through its Feed Assistance Program to cut production costs.
Despite his growing yield, Casimero said his fish never reach the public markets. “Everything I harvest is already sold within the community,” he said. “People here love tilapia. I can’t even meet all the demand.”
Agusan del Sur 2nd District Rep. Eddiebong Plaza, who initiated the USAD program, visited his ponds last October 22 and took notice of his progress.
“The province alone cannot make programs successful without your hard work and perseverance,” Plaza told residents. “What he has achieved through USAD is something anyone can reach if they make good use of the support given to them.”
Now managing a 12-hectare property, Casimero plans to diversify his enterprise by branching out into goat milk production, virgin coconut oil processing, and ready-to-Lay egg production.
He has also started developing value-added products such as tilapia polvoron, with assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry.
From one small pond to a growing agribusiness, Casimero’s story has become a local symbol of how innovation and government support can change lives in the countryside.
“This isn’t just my success,” he said. “It’s the success of everyone who believes that something small can become something great.” (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
