Fisher folks maybe considered as one of the busiest food producers. Thus, they cannot find time to improve their skills and the technologies that they use. Due to this predicament, various approaches have been tried to educate the fish farmers with recent technologies and enhance them to adopt it. Fisher folks rationalize that being away from the aqua farm to study new technologies is a threat on the already low-income industry. Therefore the notion is to bring the package of technology to the fish farmers without them leaving home or their farm, but, learning on their convenience. This approach is through the airwaves. The technology was channeled to the fisher folk’s home in New Washington and Kalibo through the airwaves and availed through the radio monitor. This is aptly called Fisheries School on the Air. The program aims to transfer technology to the fisher folks on the most affordable and convenient manner. While listening to the topics lectured on–air over radio stations DYMT-FM and CBIS–Hot FM, the Fisher folks developed a sense of enhancement to try on the new technology, and eventually raise the level of income when they have succeeded on the new venture.

          As early as September 2009, series of coordinating conferences was done by ASU project implementers with the representatives from Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (DOST-PCAMRD) taking up among others the mechanics of the program. Later, the involvement of other agencies i,e; LGU-Kalibo, LGU-New Washington, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Office 6, University of the Philippines Visayas Zonal Center for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (UPVZCARMD), Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) Aquaculture Department and Tateh Aqua Feeds and FINFISH Hatcheries, Inc. was emphasized as key players in the implementation.There was identification of tasks, more so on the identification of clientele or fisher folk participants and on the monitoring of their reception of learning. To concretize these all, a memorandum of agreement was signed by the representatives of agencies involved. On the 3rd Sunday of December, 2009, the program titled “Paaralan ng Pangisdaan sa Himpapawid (Pag –aalaga ng Apahap)” went on the air. The fisher folk participants are of two groups, totaling to 55 in all. Participants are either: fishpond operators, fish cage operators and workers in the industry. With the carrying channels; DYMT-FM at 11:30 AM to 12:00 noon and the CBIS at 3:00 to 4:00 PM, the fisher folks simply learned the technology in the comfort of their homes on Sundays while enjoying a cup of coffee or a light meal. The lessons or topics aired carried with it followed-up questions which the fisher folks diligently answered on the test paper for the purpose as provided by the ASU and the DA-BFAR personnel. Results of evaluation are basis for identifying who from among the participants will be declared as would –be- implementers. The school is for 10 Sundays ended with the participants zeal as evidenced by the number still remaining to 55 and by considerable results as shown by the monitoring tools.

          On April 23, 2010, the participants reaped the fruits of their labor. Representatives of participating agencies attended the graduation ceremony. During the program, 10 participants who have displayed exemplary performance in the Fisheries School-on Air will receive incentives in the form of free fish seeds from SEAFDEC and a one-cropping supply of free fish feed from Tateh Aqua Feeds Corp. Indeed, the best lesson here is the fact that learning a technology could come on a most convenient way. Added to it is the benefit of having learned a new technology to adopt, try and expand. Adopting an approach for fish production is one that has been a problem for many years. With the inception of the Fisheries School-on-air, fish folks are given a bright promise of income which is more than sufficient to sustain a family. It is hoped that this extension program do not end here. “Pag-aalaga ng Apahap” is only one of the many technologies, the other skills should find ways to go on air towards the fisher folk’s radio monitor sets and be transformed to functional fish production ventures. Thanks to the ASU for implementing the program. Also to PCMARD for having envisioned and provided the topics and materials for airing, the LGU–Kalibo for allowing the program aired, through CBIS-Hot FM; to the coordinating agencies, e.g. UPVZCMARD, DA-BFAR, SEAFDEC, LGU-New Washington, Tateh Aqua Feeds Corp and FINFISH Hatcheries, Inc., which made possible the preparation and monitoring of the learners’ progress. In a nutshell, the fisheries-School-on-Air program really put the fish which is an aquatic animal on–the-air.