Tilapia Pond Farming: The New Driver of Blue Economy in Ifugao

The province of Ifugao is listed by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) at number 7 with highest number of impoverished families in the Philippines with 47.5 % poverty incidence. This condition of the province indicates the need to identify livelihood programs as alternative sources of income and nutrition to help alleviate its impoverished populace. Thus, this study sought to investigate the economic benefits of tilapia pond farming as a source of income in the province. It also ascertained whether the economic benefit in terms of production is influenced by the of knowledge of tilapia farmers on the recommended tilapia pond farming practices. Data were obtained from a sample population of tilapia pond farmers in Ifugao using the chain referral sampling technique. Frequency, percentages, and mean were used to categorize and analyse the data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Correlation analysis was also utilized to test the level of association between the dependent and independent variables. The respondents production (gross sales) from tilapia pond farming was categorized as low tilapia pond farm productivity, notwithstanding their level of knowledge categorized as knowledgeable. The level of knowledge in tilapia pond farming had a significant influence on the economic benefit particularly on cash income of the tilapia farmers. This significant relationship between the tilapia pond farmers level of knowledge and the economic benefits derived from tilapia farming signified positive production potential.