This time, Willie Wendam was able to catch a 27-kilo barramundi fish or the Asian sea bass locally known as “salonsong.”
The giant fish was one of those that survived from the thousands of fingerlings released by the Iloilo City Agriculturist Office and private partners, including power utility MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), which released more than 2,000 fingerlings last February.
The abundance of giant fish has been a manifestation that the rehabilitation project of the Iloilo River is being sustained by the Iloilo City government and private partners.
Former Sen. Franklin Drilon, an Ilonggo, pushed for the long-term rehabilitation of the river that was highly polluted due to unregulated waste from commercial establishments and informal settlers.
The river rehabilitation program also built the river park now known as the Iloilo Esplanade, which is believed to be the longest lineal park in the country spanning eight kilometers.