In partnership with the Roxas City Government and Sagana Agricultural Supply, Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corporation handed 1.3 million bangus fry to the typhoon-afflicted fishing community of Roxas City, Capiz.
Roxas City, dubbed as the country’s “seafood capital” due to its abundant fish and seafood production, was one of the places severely damaged by typhoon Ursula that ravaged the country last December 2019.
Led by Pilmico’s Aqua team, they created a program aptly named Bangon Capiznon; aimed at providing fish farmers in Capiz the necessary seed stocks and technical support to revive their aquaculture production.
“True to our brand promise of being a Partner for Growth, Pilmico is here to assure our fish farmers that, together, we can recover and revive the aquaculture industry here in Capiz,” says Richard Rafio, Pilmico category manager for aqua.
Thankful Roxas City Councilor and Presiding Officer for Agriculture and Fisheries Honorable Moreno Gonzaga, lauded Pilmico and its initiative in helping the affected fish farmers – being the first feed company to give direct support to their aquaculture operators.
“Malaking tulong ito hindi lamang sa mga taga Roxas City ngunit sa muling pagbangon ng buong Capiz,” admires Hon. Gonzaga.
For the farmers engaged in cage operations, their fry allocation will be reared in assigned nurseries and will be distributed to them once they reach 3 to 5 inches – the suitable size for stocking in cages.
Through projects like Bangon Capiznon, Pilmico continues to advance business and communities, ensuring farmers are equipped with total solutions to grow and uplift their businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Bangon Capiznon initiative sustain its impact during the COVID-19 pandemic?
The initiative launched in February 2020 — just weeks before the ECQ was imposed. Rather than stalling under pandemic conditions, the program continued with Pilmico’s Aqua Feeds team maintaining consistent on-ground support to beneficiaries through coordination with the Roxas City government and endorsements from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Pilmico also offered flexible feed payment terms to speed up business recovery — an adaptation that recognized the economic stress of the pandemic on top of the still-recent typhoon recovery. The combination of technical and financial flexibility made the program resilient through compounding crises.
What was the context and purpose of the Bangon Capiznon initiative?
Bangon Capiznon — Tagalog for “Rise up, Capiznon” — was launched by Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corporation’s Aqua Feeds team in partnership with the Roxas City Government and Sagana Agricultural Supply to help Capiz fish farmers rebuild after Typhoon Ursula devastated the province in December 2019. Roxas City, known as the Philippines’ seafood capital, was among the hardest-hit areas, with the typhoon causing PHP 1 billion in damage to the farm sector. The initiative provided displaced fish farmers with both the seed stocks and technical support needed to restart their aquaculture operations.
What specifically was donated and how was the donation structured for different types of farmers?
Pilmico turned over 1.3 million bangus (milkfish) fry to the typhoon-afflicted fishing community of Roxas City, Capiz. The distribution was structured based on the farmer’s production setup. For farmers engaged in cage operations, their fry allocation was first reared in assigned nurseries rather than given directly. The nursery-reared fish were then distributed to the farmers once they reached 3 to 5 inches — the suitable size for stocking in fish cages. This staged distribution reduced the technical risk of mortality that often accompanies direct fry stocking by untrained operators.
Who was Roxas City Councilor Moreno Gonzaga and what was his assessment of the initiative?
Moreno Gonzaga was the Roxas City Councilor and Presiding Officer for Agriculture and Fisheries — and also a fisherman and direct beneficiary of Bangon Capiznon. He lauded Pilmico and its initiative in helping affected fish farmers, noting that Pilmico was the first feed company in Roxas City to give direct support to its aquaculture operators. His often-quoted statement — “Malaking tulong ito hindi lamang sa mga taga-Roxas City ngunit sa muling pagbangon ng buong Capiz” (This will greatly help not only Roxas City residents, but also in the recovery of the entire Capiz) — speaks to the provincial-scale impact he anticipated from the initiative.
How did the technical assistance component of Bangon Capiznon work and what were its outcomes?
Beyond the fry donation, Capiz fishermen and fish cage owners received technical knowledge on fish feed ratios, proper use and scheduling of feed variants, and fish cage specifications to promote a better fish-growing environment. By October 2020 — eight months after the initiative launched — the beneficiaries were earning PHP 10 to PHP 15 additional income per kilo because of increased fish growth and performance. Pilmico’s aqua feeds resulted in an average 15 to 20 days faster harvesting time compared to other brands. Total harvest among Bangon Capiznon beneficiaries reached 15 tons or approximately 13,607 kilograms.
