The Rise of Rosario’s Smoked Fish

FROM CLASSROOM TO COMMUNITY: THE RISE OF ROSARIO’S SMOKED CATFISH

ROSARIO, Cavite — A humble school fishpond project is making waves in this Cavite town, spawning a locally produced smoked catfish that has quietly become a community talking point.

The Tinapang Hito ng Rosario — smoked catfish from Rosario — was born not from a business plan, but from a problem. Sections of the school garden at Bagbag Elementary School had been rendered unusable for planting, shaded out by large trees. Rather than leave the space idle, teacher and farm coordinator Joel Fernandez converted the area into a fishpond for raising catfish, locally known as hito.

“It started as a solution to unused space,” Fernandez said. “We didn’t want anything to go to waste.”

The early days were not without setbacks. The project’s first batch of 100 juvenile fish was nearly wiped out by herons that swooped into the open pond. The team responded quickly, installing protective screens above the water. After that, the fingerlings thrived.

As production grew, Fernandez began thinking beyond the fishpond. Smoked fish — typically made with milkfish or round scad — is a staple in Filipino households, but catfish had rarely been used. He decided to try it.

The result caught on fast. Teachers, parents, and residents in the surrounding barangay embraced the product for its distinctive flavour and the novelty of its concept. What began as an improvised use of neglected school grounds had become a recognisable local product.

Bagbag Elementary now operates five large fishponds to meet growing demand. The school is continuing to scale up production, with Fernandez setting his sights beyond Rosario.

“We want this product to be known not just across our town, but across the country,” he said.

For Fernandez, the smoked catfish represents more than a livelihood project. It is proof, he said, that education, innovation, and community cooperation can combine to create something lasting — something that turns a simple idea into opportunity for an entire school and the people around it.