Nurse shifts to agri, becomes RP’s top carp breeder

Jose Santos Aralar, otherwise known as “Ka Lebong” Aralar is considered as that country’s top carp breeder. He supplies the fry and fingerling needs of Mindanao, particularly South Cotabato, as well as Bicol, particularly Camarines Sur. Those places are blessed by big and rich lakes. South Cotabato carp production supplies the  needs of Davao, Cebu, Palawan, and even Metro Manila.

Before “Ka Lebong” became a carp raiser and breeder, he was a nurse in a government hospital, but he quit after realizing that he could earn more money from raising fishes in fishpens and fish cages. Besides “Ka Lebong” was always fascinated by Laguna Lake’s beauty everytime he went on a vacation, cruising the waters of the Lake from their Binangonan town’s wharf (in Rizal), to Barangay Kalinawan, where the Aralar’s home is located.

Before embarking on his fish project “Ka Lebong” received valuable tips from his fishermen friends which he buttressed by doing his own studies.

In his first attempt “Ka Lebong” put up two cages measuring 10 by 20 meters each which he stocked with tilapia fingerlings. The tilapia reached marketable size of 200 grams each, “Ka Lebong” sold them and earned P3,000 net after deducting some petty expenses like labor.

Now “Ka Lebong” has 10 hectares of fish- pens and fish cages, raising not only tilapia, bangus but also carps, especially the big head carp.

In 1986, “Ka Lebong” attended the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center seminar. He learned from that seminar how to “induce big head carp breeders to lay their eggs by injecting them with a hormone. He also learned hot to care for the breeders as well as the fry and fingerlines.”

At present, “Ka Lebong” put more interest in his “CarpHouse” hatchery in their compound along 127 J.P. Rizal street, Dalig, Binangonan, Rizal; cel. #0927-2152532. “This is much easier for clients to fetch their ordered fry and fingerlines,” “Ka Lebong” explained.