What can’t Bapa do?
Words: Kyle John Antonio/ FAO Philippines
It’s 4 a.m. in Poona Bayabao, Lanao del Sur. Surrounded by the waters of Lake Lanao, the community is still quiet and asleep. But Saidamen Sarip, known to many as Bapa, is already up and getting ready for another day of work.
He cleans his home and surroundings, checks on his children and grandchildren, feeds the fish in his ponds, checks on his fish in the lake, tends to his farm and crops, and takes care of his other “baby” — the Poona Bayabao Agri-Fisheries Association, a community-based organization where he leads fellow farmers and fisherfolk to work together, address common challenges, and find better opportunities for their livelihoods.
He does it all at 74.
This kind of daily grind, what Filipinos call kayod-kalabaw, or working like a carabao, has sustained Bapa and his family for years. Through his farm, fishponds, and fishing, he has been able to provide for his 14 children. Today, most of them are professionals, while others have their own businesses, and some continue to help him with their family’s livelihood.
“Swerte kami na nandito kami sa paligid ng Lake Lanao at maraming likas na yaman na pwede naming maalalagaan at mapakinabangan. Ito rin ‘yung turo sakin ng mga magulang ko, kailangan magsipag,” said Bapa.
But even a lifetime of hard work comes with challenges.
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Lately, Bapa has been experiencing changes in his catches. Fish in the lake are sometimes smaller than they used to be, making it harder to earn from every trip. Changes in the climate and lake conditions add another layer of uncertainty to an already demanding livelihood.
Another challenge is access to the feed needed to raise fish in ponds. The nearest places where fish farmers can buy feed are in Iligan City or Cagayan de Oro, about three to four hours away from Poona Bayabao.
“Mahirap, lalo na mahal ang gas. Kailangan isang punta lang, kaya dapat may budget kami para bumili nang maramihan,” Bapa says.
Bringing access to quality halal-certified feed closer
To support communities like Bapa’s in Poona Bayabao, the Development of Sustainable Fishery Value Chains in the BARMM, implemented by FAO in partnership with MAFAR and with funding from the Government of Japan, is currently constructing a pilot-scale halal-certified feedmill right in the community. The facility is intended to make fish feed more accessible to local fish farmers and support aquaculture in the community.
Members of the Poona Bayabao Agri-Fisheries Association and surrounding communities are expected to benefit from the facility.
“Malaking tulong kasi mapupunan namin yung pangangailangan sa pagkain ng isda. Hindi na namin kailangang bumiyahe ng malayo. Eventually, sana matugunan namin yung pangangailangan ng mga may fish pond at palaisdaan dito sa Poona Bayabao at mga karatig na lugar,” said association secretary Sahara S. Ibrahim.
The project will not only provide the facility but also train local fish farmers on better ways to raise and manage fish, including practices that address climate-related challenges, helping them increase production and make their aquaculture livelihoods more climate-resilient and climate-smart.
Bapa has spent 74 years making the most of what he has. Now, with the right support, he and his community may have more opportunities to make even more of it.
Maybe the right question, after all, is not what Bapa can’t do, but what more he and his community can do with the right support.
