Bridging the Gap
By Prof. Henry Funtecha

The beginning of Iloilo's fishpond industry

Fishing was already flourishing in Iloilo long before the coming of the Spaniards due to the abundance of marine life in the area. There is no sufficient evidence, however, that the Ilonggos were already engaged in deep-sea fishing at that time. Most likely, they were largely coastal fishermen but this did not really pose a problem in terms of catch because of the richness of the sea.

During the Spanish colonial era, fishing continued to flourish and remained a major source of livelihood on the part of the province. By this time, the fishing activity was given a boost due to the interest given by the Spaniards to the boat-building industry in the area.

In the early years of the American rule, fishing methods remained the same. It was carried out using paddle or sail-powered “barotos”, or by wading in shallow waters using spears, bolo, nets, and hook-and-line. They also made use of a number of fishing traps as well as poison from the bark, root and fruit of certain plants. Along the coast, large fish corals or “punot” were used while oar-powered “sapyaw” was for deeper water. Many varieties of fish were caught regularly but the mainstay of the industry was “tuloy” or oil sardines. Fish caught were either canned, cooked or packed in salt.

Commercial fishing which was growing during this time was dominated by the resident Chinese boat owners and dealers. They had the advantage over the natives because of their capital.

A significant development during the American era was in Iloilo 's fish culture. Fish culture as an applied science gained foothold in the province and in the rest of the country. This was given impetus by the American policy on increased food production and due to the rising population.

By the second decade of the American period, the fishpond industry began to expand rapidly. Tidal mangrove swamps were found to be highly favorable sites and fishpond operators began converting these swamps into fishponds. Moreover, freshwater marshes and areas along springs, irrigation corals and foreshore lands, where adequate water was available, were developed for fishpond purposes. In the late 1920s, the swampy areas in many towns of Iloilo like Leganes , Zarraga, Dumangas, Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, and Banate were converted into fishponds. Offshore fishing resources were also exploited especially in the northeastern coasts of Iloilo .

Unlike the Spaniards, the American showed more concern to the fishing industry by initiating programs aimed at lifting it on its feet. Under the Philippine Rehabilitation Program of 1905, for instance, fishing was given emphasis being one of the industries concerned with the production of food.