BALER, Aurora (PIA) — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) joined hands to expand livelihood opportunities for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Aurora through skills training on fish processing.
About 20 ARBs from Barangay Borlongan, Dipaculao recently completed a three-day training on tinapa (smoked fish) and fish deboning designed to enhance rural enterprise and income generation.
DAR Aurora Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Josephine K. Aguinaldo said that the program helps transform local resources into sustainable income-generating ventures for beneficiaries.
“More than just processing fish — we’re processing opportunities,” Aguinaldo added.
The training combined theoretical discussions with hands-on demonstrations on raw material selection, proper preparation and deboning, brining, smoking, and product presentation.
Participants also learned about packaging and labeling techniques to ensure product quality, marketability, and compliance with food safety standards.
Meanwhile, TESDA Aurora Provincial Director Nomer Pascual underscored the importance of continuous skills development in supporting the government’s effort to build resilient and productive communities.
“Providing our farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries with the right skills opens pathways to self-sufficiency and local enterprise growth,” Pascual said.
The initiative reinforces the developmental partnership between DAR and TESDA in equipping agrarian reform beneficiaries with skills for long-term livelihood growth.
DAR and TESDA are optimistic that the participants will apply their training to build sustainable enterprises that will boost Aurora’s local economy and uplift the lives of rural communities. (CLJD/MAT, PIA Region 3-Aurora)
