BUGALLON AS CARABAO CAPITAL

BUGALLON— To those who have visited or have passed by the main thoroughfare of this town, the sight of the giant carabao-and-a-farmer statue may not mean much but for the town’s residents and the local government, it is a daily reminder for them to promote the carabao breeding industry in their town.

Last January 12, the town celebrated the 21st Bugallon Day with the Carabao Festival and paraded 24 dressed and adorned carabaos representing the barangays of the town.

According to Mayor Jumel Espino, the event seeks to instill in the minds of residents the mission to make the carabao industry the prime industry in the town.

“UY, SI PIA!” The crowd cheers an adorned carabao for the Best Dressed Carabao during the Carabao Festival. (Punchphoto by Johanne Macob)

Winners in the Best Dressed Carabao competition were the entries of Barangay Polong which won first place and P10,000 cash followed by Portic (P7,000) and Gueset (P5,000).

The town already passed an ordinance prohibiting the slaughter not only of female by even male carabaos. “Walang kinakatay na kalabaw sa Bugallon,” he said.

Though many of the carabaos awarded by the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to the town’s farmers’ groups had died, the mayor said there are still over 500 carabaos- riverine buffaloes and crossbreds- in the town and more than 100 native ones especially in the villages of Pangascasan and Angarian.

The town, in partnership with the PCC, also operates a small-scale carabao milk processing center in Brgy. Laguit Centro and looking at establishing a bigger processing centre in Brgy. Salasa.

MILK PRODUCTION

PCC regional director Gloria Dela Cruz, who graced the festival, hailed the role Bugallon town plays for the carabao industry and stressed that carabaos are not only for farm use but also for production of milk including flavored milk and cheese.

“The milk of carabao is better and creamer than the milk of goat and cow as it’s higher in calcium and in riboflavin but lower in cholesterol,” noted the PCC executive.

Carabao milk is currently sold at P50 per liter, added Dela Cruz.

Each milking carabao can milk at least 3-4 liters for a period of 300 days, which translates to at least P60,000 monthly earning.

Moreover, Dela Cruz disclosed that they’re trying to develop in Northern Luzon, mainly in the province of Pangasinan, an industry for cheese as white cheese and pizza cheese. (Johanne R. Macob)

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