Bugallon sets stage for carabao industry
BUGALLON– The carabao sculpture landmark in the town proper will soon indicate what it represents for the town.
Lorena Garcia, municipal agriculturist, disclosed in an interview, that the municipal government is considering to change its present “one town, one product (OTOP)” – from duhat wine to carabao milk.
The town celebrates Carabao Festival every January 12 in observance of Bugallon Day, said Garcia.
“The carabao milk has also a lot more by-products, ” Garcia pointed out. “Besides duhat wine is not very marketable,” she added.
The town has also begun sourcing its milk program from their locally-owned carabaos.
Last July 24 to October 24, at least 221 severely underweight children aged 0-71 months old have received 200-milliliter carabao milk drink daily under the program dubbed “Adopt a Severely Underweight Child.”
The program, aimed at the municipal government’s thrust to eliminate (JAIE) malnutrition, is a partnership between the local government unit (LGU) and the private sector servicing 24 villages in the town.
According to Garcia, at least eight of their 75 female carabaos (Bulgarian and Italian Buffaloes) have started milking, and others are expected to milk in November.
The carabaos from the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) awarded to the LGU through the Free Farmers Marketing Cooperative were in addition to the around 100 native carabaos in the town.
A carabao milk processing center will be put up in Brgy. Salasa next year in collaboration with the PCC. The town presently operates a small processing house in Brgy. Laguit Centro. (Johanne Macob)
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