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Davao City, Philippines – Barangay Los Amigos, Tugbok District will be holding the 11th Pantatan Festival on the last week of October, celebrating the area’s thriving catfish growing industry.
The local catfish growing industry is thriving, providing livelihood to Dabawenyos particularly in Tugbok District. The fish species known as “hito” or “pantat” is slowly gaining acceptance among diners despite its reputation for thriving on waste.
According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the catfish pond operators in Barangay Los Amigos have grown to 100 since they started supporting them in the early 2000s. The declared number does not include the unregistered and freelance growers who are encouraged to sign up for permits.
“The city’s hito industry is on the rise as shown by the increasing interest in the fish species and the corresponding increase in demand and production not only from the city but also from other areas in the country,” BFAR Region 11 Director Fatma Idris said during the 2014 Pantatan Festival.
Local catfish growers, collectively Los Amigos Aqua Culture Producers Organization (LACPO) started the Pantatan Festival in 2004 to change the idea of catfish being unclean and unfit for human consumption. Catfish in the Los Amigos area are considered a delicacy in Davao City. 95% of the local catfish growers claim to observe organic fish farming practices.
The growers yield at least 6 tons of hito per day which are supplied to restaurants in Davao City, Cebu City, Tagum City, Cagayan de Oro City and Iloilo City. This much is produced in over 160 hectares of land in the area, some in backyards of thriving eateries like Santander and Golden Egg Ihaw-Ihaw.
The Pantatan Festival is expected to feature culinary creations centered on the now famous catfish.
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