Stereotypical beliefs on technology and livelihood education
. cag, T-
TECHNOLOGY and Livelihood Education or TLE is a subject that most people underestimates. Because of the idea that the students should learn more about academics rather than focusing on skills, they never really put their all into this subject. What they don’t know is people who have outstanding skills are often the ones who get hired on big establishments like hotels and restaurants, having great skills and the determination to succeed can also be a big help for them to start a business.
In the mentioned subject, the students are tasked to show not only their talent on identifying different tools and equipment and to follow procedures. Students are also able to experience working on something in actual depending on the area that they specialize in. There are also certain points in the subject where the students have to submit tons of paperwork to completely test the things that they really learned on the field. Areas like beauty care, bread and pastry, cookery, and agriculture are just some of the many areas that the students could focus on. Through this, the students can discover their true talent and they will know if they are good with doing crafts or if they can do magic with their hands.
The TLE teachers are skilled enough to handle the different areas so it is assured that the students are taught well. The teachers went through different demonstrations and observations before they can go to where they are today. it is time to put an end to the stereotypical belief that Technology and Livelihood Education should not be taken seriously.
A PREMIER f i sheries research center in the country is promoting a simple technology to address the perennial shortage of milkfish fry that continues to hound fish farmers in the Philippines during the cold months of the year.
The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD), a research center based in Iloilo, revealed that the facility succeeded in inducing milkfish breeders to spawn using thermal manipulation and is sharing this technology with fish farmers.
“The shortage of milkfish seeds is more pronounced in the Philippines between November to February when the weather becomes too cold for breeders to lay eggs,” said SEAFDEC chief Dan Baliao, who further underscored that “thermal manipulation is necessary to help milkfish hatcheries stay productive during the four- month off-season by ensuring a continuous supply of seed.”
He explained that to induce the breeders to spawn, they installed water heaters in a 500- ton tank housing over 100 milkfish breeders, raising the temperature to at least 29 degrees Celsius from November to February.
Data from the SEAFDEC/ AQD hatchery showed that milkfish breeders normally only spawn between March and October when the weather, and consequently the water, is warmer. From November to February, the hatchery was essentially unproductive due to lower water temperature.
U s i n g “t h e r m a l manipulation” in the research center’s demonstration activity, SEAFDEC/AQD collected about 2.9 million good eggs from which almost 1.7 million normal larvae were hatched in a time that is normally considered off- season by milkfish hatcheries from November 2020 to January 2021.
Director Remia Aparri of the Department of Agriculture’s
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) Region 6 expressed her support for the technology which she said will contribute to fish sufficiency of the country.
“With available milkfish fry all throughout the year, this will encourage bangus growers in fishpond and mariculture areas to increase their capacity to produce more thereby contributing to increasing milkfish production,” Aparri said.
Although designated as the unofficial national fish of the country, about half of the 400,000 metric tons of milkfish served on Filipino dining tables each year are actually born in hatcheries in Indonesia and Taiwan before being imported for grow-out in the Philippines.
Baliao added that due to the heated breeder tank, SEAFDEC/ AQD was able to donate 1.1 million pieces of milkfish larvae to a satellite hatchery in Batan,
Bangus fry sufficiency program
Aklan that is being rehabilitated in collaboration with DA-BFAR.
Previously a hatchery that produced shrimp fry, the facility is being revived jointly by SEAFDEC/AQD and DA-BFAR to boost the local supply of seeds as part of the latter’s Bangus Fry Sufficiency Program.
DA- BFAR estimates an additional 1.2 billion locally- produced fry are needed every year on top of 1.1 billion current local productions. This brings national requirement to 2.5 billion as the expansion of local production is expected to reduce importation by 85 percent.
To further expand local production, SEAFDEC/AQD is nearing the completion of a new milkfish broodstock facility and a new milkfish hatchery, both set to be inaugurated in April 2021.
Baliao also added that SEAFDEC/AQD is willing to assist hatchery operators who plan to incorporate thermal manipulation in their facilities.
SEAFDEC/ AQD and DA- BFAR are also working towards the establishment of legislated multi- species hatcheries alongside the repair and rehabilitation of abandoned hatcheries around the country. Upon completion, each of these hatcheries is projected to produce 25 million fry every year.(
SEAFDEC/AQD)