WHEN tilapia fails to sell quickly, fish farmers risk losing income as their harvest spoils.
The Davao City Agriculturist’s Office (CAgrO) is teaching fisherfolk to turn unsold tilapia into “Tilapia Lamayo,” a traditional dried fish product that extends shelf life and creates another income source.
CAgrO conducted Fishery Post-Harvest Technology Training in three communities during the 63rd FishCon Week. The sessions drew 120 participants in Barangay Callawa on Sept. 9, Barangay Talomo River in Calinan District on Sept. 10, and Barangay Bato in Toril on Sept. 16.
Jonifer Ypon Jr., an aquaculture technologist at CAgrO, said the training gives fish farmers a practical way to avoid losing money when they cannot sell their harvest immediately.
“Gina conduct nato ni nga training kay para ang katung mga fish farmers nga dili ma halin ang ilahang tilapia ug para mas ma extend pa ang life sa tilapia nga dili siya madaot lang, pwede nila ni siya iprocess gamit ang Tilapia Lamayo ug at the same time, dili sila mag loss sa ilahang tilapia, mag increase pa ang ilahang kita kay naka processed naman siya (We are conducting this training so that fish farmers whose tilapia are not selling can extend the life of their tilapia without it getting damaged. They can process it using Tilapia Lamayo, and at the same time, they won’t lose their tilapia; their income can even increase because it is already processed),” he said.
Farmers make Tilapia Lamayo by marinating the fish in vinegar, salt, garlic, pepper, and, in some recipes, sugar, then drying it in the sun or in a dehydrator.
The process gives farmers another way to market their harvest while helping reduce fish waste.
Through lectures and hands-on demonstrations, participants learned proper fish handling, preparation, salting, drying, sanitation, and food safety practices to improve product quality.
Veronica Rosal, one of the participants, said the training showed them that they could turn their harvest into another product instead of selling fresh fish alone.
“Mas okay gyud ni siya kay additional siya nga produkto sa Tilapia. Mao na nga mag seminar gyud ko kay first timer baya mi ani kay wala mn gyud kaayo miy knowledge about sa unsaon pa ang Tilapia, unya karon sa atoang seminar, nadungagan ang amoang pagka hibalo aning isdaa, ma promote pod nato nga pwede diay ang Tilapia nga mahimong Tilapia Lamayo. Dako gyud pod kaayo siya og tabang sa amoa (This is really better because it is an additional product for Tilapia. That’s why I really want to attend the seminar because we’re first-timers and we don’t really have much knowledge about how to handle tilapia. But now, through the seminar, we have learned more about the fish and that we can also promote tilapia as Tilapia Lamayo. It has really been a great help to us),” she said.
The city has also continued to expand tilapia production. As of August 2026, CAgrO had distributed 389,200 tilapia fingerlings to farmers.
Farmers can request free fingerlings through their barangays, which coordinate distribution for those starting new fish ponds or expanding existing ones.
The post-harvest training gives them another tool: instead of letting excess harvest spoil, they can process it, extend its shelf life, and explore new markets. CIO
