A who’s-who of AQD visitors

AQD never seems to run out of visitors, which is always a good thing. Both local and foreign guests were welcomed at AQD for the months of February and March.

PDAP group

A group of 28 persons from Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi made their way to AQD last February 21-22. The group was composed of coordinators and out-of-school youth (OSY) under the SPE3 (Sitangkai Seaweed Productivity Enhancement through Education & Extension) project of the Philippine Development Assistance Programme, Inc. (PDAP). This one-year program is dedicated to improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the OSY seaweed farmers. The program enrolled 110 OSYs, who are trained to become trainers/extension workers to the other 330 targeted OSYs in the nearby area, with the goal of reducing poverty through increased seaweed quality and productivity. Out of these 110 OSYs, 24 were brought by the coordinators to AQD to visit the hatcheries and the Dumangas and Igang stations. In addition to a discussion with Dr. Anicia Hurtado of AQD's Seaweed Strain Improvement Program, they also had an overview of abalone and seahorse culture with Ms. Shelah Mae Buen-Ursua. The coordinators were Mr. Alfred Allaga, Program Officer SPE3, Ms. Evangeline Faburada, Program Officer (Sitangkai Seaweed Industry) and Mr. Alexander Benedicto, Training Assistant.

NACA Officials

Last February 26-28, Mr. Sim Sih Yang of the Marine Finfish Aquaculture Program of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) in Thailand visited AQD along with Mr.Bambang Hanggono of the Brackishwater Aquaculture Development Center in Indonesia and Mr. Samart Detsathit, Fisheries Biologist of the Krabi Coastal Fisheries R&D Center of the Department of Fisheries in Thailand. The officials visited the different laboratory and hatchery facilities at TMS, IMS, DBS and other nearby hatcheries.

Malaysian visitors

Mr. John Brian Payne, Senior Technical Advisor from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Malaysia toured AQD with his son, Adam Payne last March 3-6. They had a meeting/consultation with the Chief and the Division heads, and visited the different laboratories and hatcheries at TMS, DBS and IMS. They also visited nearby hatcheries. Their main interest was in grouper culture.

MOAP Officials

Messrs. Samson Napigkit, Nicandro Lagas, Manolito Yap, Tito Piloton and Gil Caliso of the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP) dropped by AQD last February 19-22. They met with AQD Chief Dr. Joebert Toledo, division heads and project leaders to know more about recent technologies, with emphasis on grouper culture. They also visited AQD's hatcheries/facilities at TMS, DBS and IMS to see the brackishwater ponds and cage culture facilities. The group also visited some private hatcheries near the area.