Negros Occidental revives crab farming enterprise with all-weather technology

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A mud crab or mangrove crab (Scylla serrata) enterprise in southern Negros Occidental that nearly collapsed due to weather-related concerns is getting a second chance. It now uses a low-cost farming technology designed to withstand the growing impacts of climate change.

“Kabudlay sa amon sang una kay ang gamit namon traditional nga cage nga himo sa kahoy kag kawayan, kabudlay mag harvest sang mga alimango kun mag lain ang tyempo kay ka bug-at. Iban gaka patay na lang,” Ilog Entrepreneurs Association (IEA) president Trinidad Diamante told Rappler on Wednesday, June 10.

(We had a difficult time before because we were using traditional cages made of bamboo and wood. It was difficult to harvest the crabs whenever the weather changed, because the cages were heavy. Some crabs would die.)

The association began in 2023 with a “seafood bagsakan (drop-off)” project in Purok Cordova, Barangay Bocana, Ilog town. It received a grant of P315,000 as seed capital under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The project allowed members to consolidate and market fish, crabs, and other marine products at a single shop. The seafood thus became more accessible to buyers while sparing fisherfolk the long trips to sell their catch.

Encouraged by the project’s early gains, the group expanded into mud crab fattening in 2024 to increase the value of their catch.

But the venture soon ran into trouble.

“Crabs were raised in traditional bamboo-and-wood cages placed in brackish river waters, exposing them to fluctuating temperatures and changing environmental conditions. As extreme heat and erratic weather affected water quality, crab mortalities increased and production losses mounted,” Diamante said in Hiligaynon.

The setbacks reduced the association’s membership from 21 to just seven active members.

Local university leads research

Determined to keep the livelihood alive, the group in 2025 sought help from Central Philippines State University (CPSU)-Ilog, which introduced them to the Crab Vertical Farming Technology (CVFT), a research-based system designed to make mud crab fattening more resilient to weather-related disruptions.

The technology has been adopted with support from the local government unit, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, and Office of Negros Occidental Sixth Congressional District.

Dr. Paul Doronila, research director of CPSU-Ilog, said the technology consists of 48 individual fattening cages made from recyclable plastic containers housed inside a shaded structure.

Unlike traditional river-based cages, “the technology uses a submersible pump that continuously circulates water with specially formulated components to maintain ideal conditions for crab growth, while monitoring water quality and temperature.”

Doronila said the technology costs 40 to 50 percent less than comparable commercial systems because it uses recyclable materials, making it affordable for small-scale fisherfolk and community-based enterprises.

More importantly, he said, it was designed to help aquaculture operators adapt to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.

The association began operating the technology in January 2026 at a cost of P60,000, allowing members to resume mud crab fattening under more controlled conditions.

Technology for the community — for free

The technology’s potential drew further support, leading the DSWD to grant an additional P300,000 Project Development Advancement Grant to finance the setup of another CVFT with 48 cages, along with plans to breed their own crabs.

DSWD-SLP project development officer Precious Apryl Cayot said, “The expansion will also include a solar-powered system to address issues during prolonged power outages that could disrupt the pump’s continuous water circulation and, in turn, cause the deaths of crabs.”

Doronila said that CPSU is willing to transfer the technology to community-based organizations nationwide, free of charge. “The technology is intended for transfer to the community and not for commercialization.”

IEA’s Diamante, in response, said that because of the technology, they are no longer afraid of bad weather, as they can still harvest and fatten mud crabs even in challenging conditions, using both traditional and innovative methods. New members have joined, bringing the total to 15.

She said the technology can increase the weight of a mud crab, which initially weighs just 200 grams, by at least another 100 grams — often more — within one to two weeks through feeding them small fish, oysters, and other marine products.

Fully grown crabs are sold for P500 to P600 per kilo, depending on their weight, Diamante added.

Meanwhile, Doronila said the university is developing a plant-based feed alternative for mud crab fattening to lessen entrepreneurs’ reliance on oysters and other marine products traditionally used as feed. – Rappler.com