As part of IFPT’s extension activities, the Institute implemented the public service project “Technology Transfer of Fisheries Post-Harvest Technologies to Fisherfolks in Antique” from November 2019 to January 2020 through the UP Extension in Antique program of UP Visayas and the UP System. The project is primarily aimed at engaging the Institute with the fisherfolk organizations in Antique in anticipation of the intensification of the University’s initiatives in relation to the aforementioned program.
As proposed, this training program is expected to indirectly improve the livelihood of the target beneficiaries. It is designed to enable the fisher folks to produce fishery products using locally available fish species and materials which can command higher prices than the existing products (if any) since the quality and safety are assured.
In the three-month implementation of the project, several activities have already been conducted. Target beneficiaries were identified in collaboration with the Antique Office of the Provincial Agriculturists and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Antique Provincial Office. Five fisher folk groups were selected on the basis of the existence of an association and their participation to BFAR’s Special Area for Agricultural Development projects so as to complement the efforts of the agency. The first part of the Phase 2 of the project involved skills training of the target beneficiaries. The Fisheries Extension Officer assigned to the association also attended the training for the purposes of future monitoring of the association’s progress in terms of production and business management. The associations sent 10-15 members who are mostly their officers to undergo lectures and hands-on activities on the different fish processing technologies. A total of 66 fisherfolks coming fromAnini-y, Barbaza, Bugasong, Patnongon, and Laua-an were trained. The second part of the training involved a seminar-workshop on Quality Management, Good Handling Practices, Packaging and Storage, and Business Enterprise Management which was held in San Jose Antique and participated by all the fisherfolks that underwent the skills training.
Phases 1 and 2 of the project’s implementation process was successfully delivered last November 2019 – January 2020. The extension program was also successful in implementing the last activity phase which includes the development of IEC materials through booklet and pamphlet for surimi processing, bottling and smoking. These materials were copyrighted and to be distributed to several fisherfolk organizations using online copies. The Pandemic Fish Cooking Wonder, an animated video series about a female heroine and its quest on defeating COVID-19 using different post-harvest technologies were also produced and disseminated on different social media platforms.