After learning this, I understood better why the fish is the usual Lenten fare. Eating fish is to remember Jesus, the supreme fisher of men. It made more sense than "eating fish is an act of sacrifice and penitence," which in the past was the usual explanation that I got from grownups.
As a child, it used to confuse me how Lent could be a time of penitence, when it seemed that everyone was having a feast. Indeed, my siblings and I were restrained from eating meat. However, we had juicy prawns, fat crabs and tasty bangus relleno instead. As we enjoyed the tasty bacalao made from imported dried cod, I recognized even then that the irony of the Lenten diet was that to afford expensive seafood entailed some degree of penitence and sacrifice – in monetary terms, that is.
Although bangus and tilapia are plentiful in the market nowadays, the cost of other seafood continues to increase. Ostensibly, over fishing and the deterioration of the marine environment have contributed to the depletion of marine resources. In addition, our marine resources have become inadequate because of the steady increase in human population and the concomitant rise in the demand for seafood.
To increase fish harvests and meet the escalating demands, the Santeh Feeds Corporation, which manufactures Tateh feeds, seeks to promote the development of a sustainable aquaculture industry. Now on its 15th year, the company’s advocacy is to transfer new technology and encourage continuing education in the field of aquaculture. This is done by providing continuous training to technical representatives who, in turn, give technical assistance to fish farmers nationwide from as far north as Ilocos Norte and the Cagayan Valley to as far south as Davao and General Santos City. By providing support to training programs, seminars, dialogues, research and publications of technical bulletins, Santeh is able to help disseminate knowledge of the new technological advances in aquaculture. Equipped with new knowledge, farmers are able to improve the volume of their harvests.
"We encourage the farmers to breed the fish that will grow (well here)," says Santeh chief executive officer Phillip Ong. Pointing out that the Philippines’ extensive coastlines present a big advantage in fish cage breeding, he adds, "I personally believe that raising marine fish has great potential." The company’s research and development arm has been instrumental in the development of various fish farming procedures for marine, freshwater, or brackish culture. A series of events titled Fishta was likewise conducted with the view of promoting various cultured species as alternative sources of income. In acknowledgment of the company’s efforts to strive for excellence in its field, Santeh has been accorded environmental, occupational and work safety awards. It has likewise earned an ISO 9001:2001 international certificate for quality, which guarantees world-class standards for all the company’s products.
From catfish (hito), milkfish (bangus), and St. Peter’s fish (tilapia) production, Santeh has moved on to support fish breeding and programs for the production of green grouper (lapu-lapu), sea bass and pomfret (pampano). Guided by the commitment to encourage the advancement of knowledge in aquaculture towards the development of a sustainable aquaculture industry, the company maintains one pond in its 14.5-hectare facility in Silay City for research and development. Santeh also provides educational grants to fisheries students at the Central Luzon State University, UP in the Visayas and Mindanao State University. The launching of the "Fish for Every Filipino Awards" competition in cooperation with the Marine Technology Foundation in 1997 has provided further impetus and encouragement for fish farmers, cooperatives, aquaculturists, technologists and researchers all throughout the country.
In 2003, the company launched the "Fishery School on the Air" in cooperation with the radio station DZMM and other companies and organizations, and government institutions. Some 132 students benefited from this program, but the initiative has been proven to have a very widespread reach. Santeh’s Phillip Ong relates that the company received a letter written by an inmate who had been religiously following the broadcast. Apparently, listening in on the show had inspired the inmate to venture into aquaculture when he gets out. The radio broadcast was instrumental in providing a possible direction to take this individual to take after doing his time in prison.