Batangas Governor Vilma Santos urged the public to continue eating tawilis, the freshwater sardine found in Taal Lake, after prices dropped following reports of alleged human remains in the area connected to missing sabungeros.
In a Facebook reel, Vilmas assured consumers that fish from Taal remain safe to eat despite recent fears.
“Tawilis, okay, nothing to worry with all these issues about our Taal. Nothing to worry. First of all, ang mga isda po natin diyan like tilapia and bangus, cultured ‘yan,” the governor said.
She also emphasized that tawilis are non-carnivorous.
“May mga fishpens po na nandidiyan na alaga po ang mga ‘yan. At ang tawilis po natin non-carnivorous, hindi ito kumakain ng laman-laman, halaman ang kinakain nito,” she added.
Fisherfolk reported a sharp price drop last week, from P250 to P100 per kilo, after news of suspected human remains surfaced.
Tawilis (Sardinella tawilis) is the world’s only freshwater sardine species, found exclusively in Taal Lake. It is a local delicacy and a key livelihood for communities around the lake.
