USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO MANAGE FLOATING FARMS

USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO MANAGE FLOATING FARMS

It is already a revolutionary idea to build floating farms. But what is even more revolutionary is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage these floating farms. Imagine platforms on our lakes and rivers, producing both fish and vegetables, while AI quietly works in the background—adjusting water quality, controlling nutrients, monitoring fish health, and even predicting harvest yields.

As I always say: if other countries can do it, we can do it too!

And why not? We have no shortage of space. The Philippines has more than 7,100 islands, countless lakes and rivers, and one of the longest coastlines in the world. Just look at Laguna de Bay, our largest freshwater lake, which already hosts floating solar projects. If we can float solar panels, why not aquaponics farms?

We also have the human resources. Filipino architects and engineers are more than capable of designing floating structures—whether modular pontoons, bamboo rafts, or steel platforms. Our software developers are world-class, servicing clients from Silicon Valley to Singapore. Why not challenge them to build AI systems that could monitor water quality, oxygen levels, or nutrient flows in real time?

And let us not forget the market. Even without exporting, our own population of over 115 million people provides enough demand for the aquatic products that floating farms can yield. Tilapia, bangus, catfish, lettuce, and kangkong grown sustainably could feed millions while reducing pressure on overfished coastal areas.

So what’s missing? At the moment, not a single company in the Philippines is operating floating farms of this kind. Yes, we do have fish pens and fish cages, but these are often single-use, fragile, and unsustainable. The leap to floating, AI-managed, closed-loop systems may seem big—but in truth, the transition is not impossible. Fish pen operators already know aquaculture. What they need is innovation.

Take the example of Brazil. In the Amazon basin, engineers have launched AI-powered floating farms that combine aquaculture with hydroponics. Fish waste fertilizes crops, while AI algorithms adjust lighting, nutrients, and water flow automatically. The result? Food production is three times higher per hectare than traditional methods. These farms also adapt to rising waters and operate off-grid with solar panels—protecting rainforests while feeding remote communities.

Why can’t we do something similar in the Philippines?

In fact, we already have a stepping stone: floating solar farms. ACEN Corp., SunAsia Energy, and Blueleaf Energy are building massive floating solar projects in Laguna Lake, with more than 1,800 MW planned across 2,000 hectares. These projects prove we can deploy modular floating platforms on a large scale, with regulatory approval from the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). If solar can float, so can farms.

But as I see it, the real challenge is governance. Which agencies should lead? Certainly DA-BFAR for fisheries, DENR-BMB for ecosystems, DOST for research, and DICT for digital infrastructure. But unless these agencies coordinate, projects may drown in bureaucracy before they even float in the water. Perhaps the best way forward is a pilot project on one of our lakes, jointly managed by government, private investors, and local cooperatives.

Consider this scenario: a barangay in flood-prone Agusan Marsh or Candaba Swamp sets up a floating aquaponics hub. The platform is solar-powered, equipped with AI sensors that monitor fish health and crop growth. Local farmers and fisherfolk run the system as a cooperative, selling produce directly in nearby towns. The result? Food security, jobs, and resilience—all in one.

The benefits go beyond economics. Floating farms could reduce land conversion, protect watersheds, and bring food production closer to urban centers. With AI integration, they could also give us real-time data to anticipate fish kills, adjust feeding schedules, and minimize waste. This is precision farming on water.

So here are my questions:

  • Why wait for foreign investors when our own engineers, programmers, and farmers are ready?

  • Why let floods and rising waters be disasters, when they could become opportunities for food production?

  • And why should Brazil lead in this field, when we have more lakes, more coasts, and more need for food sovereignty?

We are already proving we can lead in floating solar. Now it is time to extend that vision to floating farms. If done right, the Philippines could be the first in Asia to pioneer AI-powered floating food systems—feeding our people while setting an example for the world.

To me, the choice is clear. Instead of asking whether floating AI farms are possible, we should already be asking: Where will we pilot the first one, and when do we start?

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

12-31-2025

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES?

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES? When we talk about the crime rate in the Philippines, we often assume that the figures we see are accurate reflections of reality. But have we ever paused to ask—how exactly is the crime rate computed? Where does this data come from, and how reliable is it? The computation of the crime rate in the Philippines is officially handled by the Philippine National Police (PNP). The formula itself is straightforward: Crime Rate = (Total Reported Crimes / Total Population) x 100,000 This simple equation gives us the number of crimes per 100,000 people, allowing for fair comparison across regions and time periods. However, the reality behind these numbers is more complex than it appears. Data from the Ground The foundation of our national crime rate is empirical data collected at the grassroots level—from individual police stations scattered across the country. Every reported crime is logged in local police blotters, forming the buil...
Read more

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS Dear Mr. President: May I ask who is going to be the arbiter or referee whenever there are overlaps in functions between two or more government agencies? I imagine that there would be no problem if these agencies would just cooperate and collaborate with each other, but what if they are unable to settle their differences and they would just end up throwing blame at each other or finger pointing at each other? Allow me to cite some examples. Who is supposed to take the lead in waste to energy projects? Is it supposed to be the DENR that is supposed to handle waste? Or is it supposed to be the DOE that is supposed to handle energy generation? Or is it supposed to be the DILG since it is the one that could direct or influence the waste to energy projects of LGUs? Who is supposed to take the lead in producing and promoting the use of biofuels? Is it supposed to be the DA, since the production of biofuels is supposed to be all about planting biofuel ...
Read more

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES As it is supposed to be, anyone in the Philippines should be able to dial 911, and a telephone operator should be able to dispatch fire, rescue, ambulance and police (FRAP) units as soon as possible, based on acceptable response times. I invented the FRAP acronym for easy recall, and I hope it sticks, if there is no other alternative. Unfortunately, due to a mixture of technical and political reasons, the Philippines has not adopted 911 as a national number, because some LGUs would rather use their own three-digit numbers such as 117 and 168. I actually proposed a technical solution to that problem, but it was not adopted either. For whatever it is worth, my solution is to install a call forwarding system that could route all calls to a central operator, regardless of what number is dialed. It is very sad for me to know that up to now, even if our country is already over one hundred years old, there are still many LGUs that do not have fire trucks. it ...
Read more