910 seaweed farmers affected by severe infestation of rabbitfish in their farms in Caluya, Antique received assistance under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Region 6. The affected seaweed farmers from the island barangays of Harigue, Sibay, Bonbon and Bacong received emergency employment from DOLE for ten days to provide them with temporary source of income due to an epidemic which resulted in lower yield and productivity of seaweed farms. The decline is due to the invasion of rabbitfish or “burawis” in seaweed farms. The “burawis” ate and destroyed seaweeds. Though farmers managed to catch tons of rabbitfish almost every day, these predators continue to invade and spread in the seaweed farms.

Baldonado, D. (2019, October 7). DOLE-6 assists seaweed farmers in Antique town. Daily Guardian, pp. 12, 13.