Fisherfolk Success Story by R de Guzman

Fisherfolk Success Story
Fisherfolk Baleroso: A case of Perseverance
R.E. De Guzman
He weighs the oyster spats (“talaba seeds”) carefully, then pays the gatherers in cash. He does this from
6:00 A.M to 8:00 A.M, then proceeds to his farm in the sea for maintenance work. He stays in his stilt
hut in the sea until four in the afternoon then goes home, bringing with him the day’s talaba for orders
he received through text the previous day including some for the wife to cook. So goes the daily routine
of fisherfolk Efren Salinas Baleroso, 60 years of age and proud fisherfolk of SitioBolong, Barangay Batu,
Siay town in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.
Efren was born in Clarin, Misamis Occidental on September 25, 1960. Their family transferred to
barangay Balagon in Siay in 1979. Armed clashes between rebel groups and the military in Balagon
drove Efren’s family to settle in SitioBolong in barangay Batu.
In his early married life, Efren was a true picture of the community bad boy who is often drunk and the
source of many troubles. He volunteered to become a member of the local Bantay-Dagat so he can steer
clear of his wife’s tirades because of his drinking. His meagre and often erratic income from fishing
contributed to the growing family’s fear of an uncertain future and did not help mend his ways.
In the year 2005, the Canadian International Development Assistance (CIDA), through the Local
Government Unit of Siay, granted seed capital to a few fisherfolk amounting to ₱15,000.00 each to
engage in oyster (Crassostreagigas) or “Talaba” culture, Efren being one of the recipients.
Since talaba was not a household name in the market yet at the time, the demand was low which
discouraged nearly all of the project beneficiaries to the point that they discontinued operations, except
one, Efren. He laboured on even when vandals burned down his caretaker hut and stole his marketable
oysters.
The turning point in his talaba venture was when he was sent by the NGO,Agri-Aqua Development
Coalition (AADC) on an exposure trip to Ilo-Ilo to visit and talk to a successful talaba farmer. Right there
and then, Efren told himself that he can do it too, in Siay. This event was coupled by the surge in the use
of mobile phones which opened wide his market opportunities. Customers coming from as far as Iligan
City, Zamboanga City, Cotabato City, Dipolog City, Pagadian City, Bukidnon, and even as far as Manila
ordered their talaba from him through text or call. In one transaction, an order from the Autonomous
Government in Cotabato City worth ₱50,000.00 was consummated by Efren without much difficulty. In
all his efforts, his wife. Elverita P. Baleroso supported him every step of the way and pushed him even
when the situation was bleak. His son too, Efren Jr., assisted him all the way, especially in the highly
physical undertakings, Sure enough, the cliché “Kung walang tiyaga, walang nilaga” rang true for Efren.
Slowly, his income rose and his stature in the community changed for the better dramatically. His once
lean – to “barung-barong” is now a respectable and painted tin-roofed dwelling with a sizeable “sari-
sari” store to boot.
He has at his disposal, two motorized and one non-motorized boats, all registered with the Local
Government Unit.
His active involvement in social endeavours like Mangrove Reforestation and Participation in meetings
of fisherfolk caused him to be elected President of KGMB
(KahugpunganSaGagmayngMangingisdasaBatu) and to be invited in related activities of many
government and private entities like the DENR, LGU Siay, the DA-BFAR, AADC, and other entities.
His talaba venture grew steadily and gave him enough capital to diversify into cage culture of grouper
(Epinephelus spp.) or “Lapu-lapu”. He started with two modules (12 compartments each) of fish cages in
2017 and expanded with another in 2018. In December of 2018, Efren received a plaque of recognition
from the DENR in behalf of his group, the KGMB for having implemented one of the most successful
mangrove rehabilitation project in the country. For the first time in his life, fisherfolk Efren set foot at
the famed Manila Hotel to be recognised for his group’s efforts in coastal resources conservation.
These days, Efren silently goes about his pursuit of mangrove reforestation even without being told or
paid.
He also contributes to his neighbours’ livelihood activities by buying oyster spats from them at
₱150.00/pail (a gatherer can easily gather two pails in a few hours) even when he can do the spat
gathering himself. He also pays all his dues to the Local Government, like the rental fees for his talaba
farms and his fish cages so that in a small way, he can be a model for other fisherfolk to emulate. It took
Efren fifteen long years of dogged determination and perseverance to reach his present status, a success
in its own right.
Efren’s biggest classroom in the sea has taught him many lessons that he readily shares with others:
 That the best way of “planting” talaba is by embedding the spats in the mud halfway at 45° angle with
the concave surface facing outwards and close to each other;
The reason given for the 45° angle was that, if the water movement causes the spat to fall, it will face
upward and not suffocate. Placing them close to each other make the spats more effective in blowing
out the silt by their collective water squirting.
 That discarded or waste bamboo poles from the fish cages can be used as good spat collectors, hence
should be saved for use in the talaba nursery;
 That when cleaning spats and marketable oyster, care should be taken not to cause even a little break
in the lip of the shell, otherwise, it will die;
 That “sisi” or Rock Oyster (Saccostreacucullata, are good indicators of a suitable oyster farm;
 That other species of mollusks like, Window Pane Oyster or Capiz Shell (Placuna placenta), Blood
Cockle or Bakalan (Arca ventricosa), Rock Oyster or “sisi” ( Saccostrea cucullata) and mangrove clam or
“Tuway” (Venerupis philippinarum), will also become abundant and of bigger sizes inside the protected
oyster farm, thereby, becoming a good source of added income;
 That rearing bigger-sized grouper juveniles gives the highest returns on investment in fish cage
aquaculture.
#End

Fisherfolk Success Story by R de Guzman

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Fisherfolk Success Story

Fisherfolk Baleroso: A case of Perseverance

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