Free training on upland, fish cage farming set

CEBU, Philippines — As Cebu Province geared up for a new chapter in governance under the leadership of incoming Governor Pamela Baricuatro, the first major initiative under her administration’s Food Security Strategy is set to kick off tomorrow, June 28, with a free training on upland and fish cage farming in the municipality of Tabogon.

Former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, who now serves as the governor’s Food Security adviser, announced the activity earlier this week, emphasizing on its core objective: securing Cebu’s food supply by empowering local farmers and fisherfolks.

The training is the first step in a comprehensive approach aimed at boosting food production, minimizing supply gaps, and ensuring affordability for Cebuano households. It will be hosted by MNE Gamefarm owned by Rolly and Yolly Ybanez.

Participants will have access to technical knowledge, production tools, and post-harvest support.

This, as the program is a collaboration of multiple stakeholders including Inca Mariculture Company – provider of floating fish cages, Braveheart Farms, along with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR ) Central Visayas and the Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC).

Registration is free, but limited to the first 150 participants only. Interested individuals can contact Salvin Lagumbay at 0927-7687991.

Participants will then be given an option to avail themselves of a rent-to-own fish cage or fish tanks from Inca Mariculture Company.

Production chain will then be linked to the soon to-be established food centers thru First Atkins Import-Export Inc., a major player in the local meat market.

The program will expand to include free-range chicken farming featuring the “Manok Pinoy” breed developed by Piñol in 2010, as well as training in cattle, hog, and poultry raising.

By equipping Cebuano farmers with the skills and resources to thrive, Baricuatro’s Food Security Team is planting the seeds for long-term resilience—and potential replication throughout the country.

“This is a very simplified approach to achieve Food Security in Cebu which I hope will become the template for the Food Security Strategy of other provinces in the country,” Pinol said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 continued to strengthen its efforts to combat hunger in Central Visayas, through its Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program, with 102 accredited partner retailers now serving program beneficiaries across Cebu and Negros Oriental.

Of the 102 retailers, 40 of these are based in Cebu, while 62 are in Negros Oriental.

These partners, DSWD-7 said are helping ensure consistent access to nutritious food for economically disadvantaged families in the region, reinforcing the government’s commitment to food security and inclusive development.

A key contributor to the program’s expansion is the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), which links community-based organizations (CBOs) to institutional markets.

As a result of this partnership, the DSWD 7 said there are 20 CBOs—composed of local farmers and producers—are now directly supplying food items to program beneficiaries.

To widen the program’s reach, the Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) will soon conduct additional retail and market assessments in both provinces.

These assessments will help identify new potential retailers, particularly in underserved and geographically isolated areas, improving the program’s coverage and convenience for beneficiaries.

As of May 2025, DSWD-7 has verified 32,445 beneficiaries in the two provinces—13,619 in Cebu and 18,826 in Negros Oriental.

The number of beneficiaries that each retailer can serve depends on their supply capacity.

Beneficiaries are selected through the Listahanan 3 Database of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, focusing on Filipino families earning ?8,739 or less per month who are not already part of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Currently, 73 local government units (LGUs) are actively implementing the Walang Gutom Program—48 in Cebu and 25 in Negros Oriental.

The Walang Gutom 2027 Program remains a flagship initiative of the DSWD, targeting zero hunger through collaborative, inclusive, and community-empowering strategies. —  (FREEMAN)