MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija — Central Luzon State University (CLSU) started the construction of a P20-million tilapia breeding facility on Aug. 17, a project aimed at supporting the growth of the country’s tilapia industry.
The groundbreaking for the Tilapia Breeding Nucleus Facility was held at the grounds of the CLSU Freshwater Aquaculture Center (FAC). The project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).
Leading the ceremony were CLSU President Dr. Evaristo Abella, DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Reynaldo Ebora, and DOST-PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development Juanito Batalon.
The new facility will serve as a nucleus breeding center for tilapia.
According to project proponents, it is designed to produce high-quality broodstock and fingerlings that can be distributed to hatcheries, fish farmers, and industry partners in Central Luzon and nearby regions.
During the program, Abella linked the facility to the university’s research and extension mandate and to food security goals in the region.
“Today, we are marking the beginning of another important milestone in strengthening the university's contribution to research, innovation, and the development of technologies in the field of aquaculture that can make a difference in the lives of our fisherfolks and partner communities,” he said.
Abella added that the facility should impact major stakeholders, “not merely for publication or generation of technology that will be shelved in the laboratory, but providing an impact in terms of economic standing and the standard of living for our families.”
As part of the event, Jonathan Fabula, Director of the Precision and Digital Agriculture Center, presented a technology demonstration for a companion project titled “Infusing Smart Farming Technologies in CLSU Tilapia Breeding Nucleus towards Precision and Digital Aquaculture” or ISDA.
The ISDA project introduces three technologies intended for use in the new breeding facility: Predicount, an AI-assisted fish fry counter; Aquaafeedr, an autonomous precision feeding system; and Predirover, an autonomous fry collection and harvesting unmanned surface vehicle (USV).
Officials said the tools are meant to improve accuracy in fry counting, automate feeding, and streamline fry collection and harvesting operations.
Quiazon said the integration of smart systems with the breeding nucleus is expected to make hatchery operations more efficient and data-driven.
This, he noted, can help address common challenges in tilapia seed production such as labor requirements, feed management, and consistency in fry supply.
DOST-PCAARRD officials said the investment forms part of broader efforts to modernize Philippine aquaculture and support value-chain development for priority commodities.
They said that tilapia remains one of the country’s major aquaculture species, with demand from domestic consumer markets and processing industries.
With the new breeding nucleus and digital tools, CLSU and DOST-PCAARRD aim to provide farmers and entrepreneurs with improved inputs and technologies that can translate into higher yields and better incomes.
University officials said the facility will also be used for training, research trials and technology transfer activities for fisherfolk and industry partners.
Construction of the Tilapia Breeding Nucleus Facility begins this month at the FAC complex.
Also attending the groundbreaking ceremony were Fezoil Luz Decena, Director of the Institutional Development Division of DOST-PCAARRD; Cynthia Almazan, Senior Science Research Specialist of DOST-PCAARRD; Emmanuel Vera Cruz, CLSU Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Extension; Karl Marx Quiazon, Director of FAC; and other guests from government and academic institutions.
