Farmers in Negros Occidental province in the Western Visayas in the Philippines recently harvested cultured tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) via two farmers’ association. 

This development marks a branching of the region’s primary claim as the national center of sugar production into aquaculture.

According to Sunstar PH, the regional government provided the Marcelo Farmers Association (MAFA) with 5,000 tilapia fingerlings. 

Although the production is negligible at 360 kg, this is a leap forward for it comes directly after a dry summer.

The group’s first cache landed on December 30 at 50 kg while the next bout on January 6 netted 310 kg. 

Chair of MAFA Richard Diotay detailed that they harvest from a fishpond supplied by a reservoir in dry times.

During summer “there was limited (water) supply,” recounted Diotay. However, thanks to the governmental anti-El Niño program, namely Project Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA), they succeeded.

Farmers are certain of attracting handsome prices, which in January 2025 are hovering around 220 pesos ($3.76) a kg.

Harvest Spurs Vegetable Farming

Tilapia farming is also generating side income for residents of the Calatrava municipal area where MAFA belongs, through pond side water spinach.

In the nearby township of Toboso, another association known as BSAFRA sells its water vegetables at a profit.

The association apparently earned a profit of 22,271 pesos ($380.17) after selling 716 kilograms of veggies. The members also sold corn and peanuts, the latter at 100 pesos ($1.71) a kg.

This marks an innovative method of culturing fish while also nurturing crops for food and cash sales.

Tilapia farming is currently in full development in the Philippines, with production mainly in Regions 1, 3 and 4-A.  Region 6 (Western Visayas) where Negros Occidental is situated, manages small ponds that average 44 to 50 kg per harvest. 

It is therefore interesting to learn that the Visayas island chain is trying to catch up, courtesy the recent tilapia harvest. To learn more on the culturing of this freshwater fish across PH, skim the statistics below.

Philippines Tilapia Statistics 

Tilapia production in the Philippines accounts for at least 12% (2018) to maximum 22% (2021) of the total aquaculture output in the country. The 2018 production at 227,006 tonnes was only third to seaweeds at over 1.478 million tonnes and milkfish at 303,402 tonnes. Two years later in 2020, tilapia production had hiked to 263,871 tonnes. It further went up in 2021 to 281,111 tonnes or 20 to 22% of all national aquaculture output.

Is PH the biggest hatchery in Asia?

The Philippines has not only overtaken native sources such as Uganda and Kenya in production but ranks only second in Asia. In 2017, with its almost 300,000 tonnes of tilapia harvest, the country came behind China’s 1.8 million tonnes and Egypt’s 1 million tonnes. This according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

How big is the farming area under tilapia? 

Counting lakes, reservoirs and fishponds, the Philippines’ tilapia aquaculture spans to over 15,000 hectares, as of 2018. 14,500 hectares comprise ponds while 500 ha are either cages in lakes or on reservoirs.

Which regions lead in PH’s tilapia production? 

The Central Luzon region led production in 2020 at 136,218 tonnes, according to the national government’s data.  

Which is the main tilapia species in cultivation? 

The major species in the country is the Nile Tilapia or Oreochromis niloticus, which is grey-hued.