Author: Ma. Cecilia C. Irang

They cheered, they clapped, they wolf-whistled as Luisa showed off her special talent. The event was the first ever farmers’ and fisherfolk’s day held in Anda, Pangasinan last December 14.

Upon signals from her caretaker, Willy Castro, 64, of brgy. Macaleeng, she knelt while her back feet stumped the ground in cadence with the beat of the background music.

Not only that, she posed with gusto like a pro in front of the camera.

Luisa is a native carabao.

“It takes a lot of patience to teach a carabao how to kneel, lie down, and sit. The caretaker must be passionate in teaching and goading for his animal to do those things,” Willy said in Filipino.

Willy named the carabao “Luisa” after his granddaughter because of her docility and domesticity –the same demeanors his granddaughter manifests.

According to him, Luisa was only four years old when he started to teach her how to kneel and lie down.

He has been taking care of Luisa for 14 years now, which already had six parities.

“I kept on asking and telling her to lie down by slowly pulling and moving her leash. She learned in two days how to lie down and another two days how to kneel,” he shared.

Willy is fond of teaching animals and treat them like growing up kids. He said that he even taught his goat, dog, and cow how to pull a cart.

Luisa is owned by Milagros Arig. She herself was in awe as she didn’t expect that her carabao could show off such talents.

“When the emcee said it’s time for the talent show of carabaos, I was shocked and at the same time amazed when Luisa entered and began flaunting her kneeling ability and beauty by striking a pose in front of the camera. That was the first time I saw her doing those in front of many people,” Milagros said.

No other carabao in the event dared to compete with Luisa in the talent show.

The event, dubbed as the “Awron Magtatalon Tan Mangnguna 2017 (Day of Farmers and Fisherfolk)”, was a day of thanksgiving for the bounties of the land and sea. It featured varied abundances of Anda, Pangasinan such as vegetables, fish, rice, carabaos and others.

Other activities of the event which starred the carabaos included contests for carabao painting, best-dressed carabao, best in talent, biggest, and heaviest carabao based on their body conformation. Eight competed in the events.

Luisa, obviously, was the runaway winner in the “best in talent” award category and second place for the best-dressed carabao and fourth for best-painted carabao categories.

“Marian”, a crossbred carabao owned by Jimy Cacho of brgy. Sablig, won the best-dressed award.

Meanwhile, a crossbred carabao owned by Renato Celso and tended by Bartolome Cacho of brgy. Macando-candong won several awards in the painted carabao, biggest, and heaviest female carabao categories. For the biggest and heaviest male carabao, a crossbred owned by Ernesto Carlit and tended by Boy Caniedo won the award.

Crossbreds in Anda are being used mainly for draft purposes but the municipality also supports the dairy program of the Philippine Carabao Center at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (PCC@DMMMSU).

Mayor Aldrin Cerdan, on the other hand, underscored the executive order declaring the second week of December of every year as farmers’ and fishermen’s day or week.

“It is indeed a must that we express our gratitude to our farmers and fishermen who work hard just to produce our staple food. If not because of them, we wouldn’t be able to eat nutritious meals. When it comes to our livestock and farming industry, as a veterinarian by profession, I fully support the farmers and raisers,” Mayor Cerdan said.

Meanwhile, Municipal Agriculturist Elizabeth Tomas bared noteworthy plans after this event.

“This event will be implemented yearly. The Sangguniang Bayan is already drafting an ordinance on this to give emphasis on the carabao industry because we need to maintain and improve our carabao population,” she said.

She added that through this event, they expect to appreciate more the carabao as an essential part of the farming industry in Anda.

“The farmers will be more open to the initiatives of PCC@DMMMSU and LGU when it comes to carabao upgrading program. Rest assured that our LGU will be supportive of any carabao-related activities,” she concluded.

Director Franklin Rellin of the Philippine Carabao Center at Cagayan State University (PCC@CSU) was adjudged “Best Presenter” during the 4th International Conference on Rural Development and Entrepreneurship (ICORE) held at Kedah, Malaysia on November 30-December 2, 2017.

Dir. Rellin presented a paper titled “Socio-economic status, interests, strengths, weakness and influence of crossbred carabao-based enterprise development stakeholders in San Agustin, Isabela” during the conference, which was participated in by some 120 participants from China, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

This study was part of the project titled “Enhancing Milk Production of Water Buffaloes through Science and Technology Interventions” being supervised by Dr. Annabelle Sarabia, chief of PCC’s Research and Development Division.

The implementation of the said project is made possible through a partnership between the PCC and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

At least 500 farmers and other stakeholders in the carabao-based industry will attend the Third National Carabao Conference (NCC) on November 27-28 at the national headquarters and gene pool of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

With the theme “KalabaJuan, Pagpupugay sa Magsasaka at Kalabaw”, the conference will serve as a venue for meaningful interaction, significant dissemination of information, exchange of ideas, and discussion of good practices that are expected to inspire more people to participate in the Carabao Development Program (CDP).

The two-day conference will gather individuals and groups who are benefitting from the carabao-based industry, particularly local government officials and representatives from various government agencies and private organizations that are actively involved in the implementation of the CDP, which is considered as PCC’s flagship program.

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committees on Health and Demography and Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement; and Congresswoman Cecilia Leonila Chavez, representative of Butil Farmers Partylist; are expected to be present in the event as guests of honor.

According to Khrizie Evert Padre, Information Officer II of the PCC’s Knowledge Management Division and the overall chair for the third NCC, this event will recognize and honor the contributions of farmers and the farmers’ docile and reliable ally in the farm and in their livelihood – which is the carabao.

“They are the living testimonies that there is indeed triumph in carabao farming as long as you put your whole heart and throw all there is of yourself in this endeavor,” Padre said.

On the first day of the conference, there will be breakout sessions under the activity titled “KalabaJuan 101”. This will involve discussions of exemplar practices on dairy carabao production (kwento at kwenta), nutrition, reproduction, prevention and control of common animal diseases, improved forages production and conservation, and feeding management.

Highlights of the event include the launching of “Gintong Kalabaw Cup” via an infographic video presentation and awarding of winners for “Modelong Juana sa Kalabawan”, “Modelong Kabataan sa Kalabawan”, “Outstanding Dairy Buffalo”,  “Best Dairy Cooperative Category”, and “Outstanding Dairy Buffalo Farmers for Smallhold, Family Module, and Semi-Commercial Categories”.

Other activities lined-up for the conference are products exhibition of suppliers, convergence meeting of partner-stakeholders in the industry, and simultaneous signing of partners, farmers and other stakeholders on the commitment board to support the carabao industry.

The second day of the event will be capped with discussions on the Agricultural Credit Policy Council’s “Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) Program”, and lecture-demo on “Milk Testing and Proper Milk Handling”, and “Feed Processing/Baling or Chopping”.

Challenges faced by the public and private sectors engaged in enterprises anchored on the carabao industry in some Asian countries, including the Philippines, and opportunities out of these challenges were discussed in an International Conference on Carabao-based Enterprise Development (CBED) held at the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) National Headquarters and Gene Pool in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija on October 26-27.

“The objectives of this event are to share scientific and technological knowledge and best practices, and to explore beneficial partnerships and collaborations,” Dr. Arnel del Barrio, executive director of the PCC, said.

 

Philippines

Dr. Flordeliza Lantican, Project Leader of the CBED Value Chain Analysis (VCA) in the Philippines and one of the plenary speakers, suggested [basing on the VCA] that there is a need for strategic partnerships between government and private agencies to hasten the development of the industry.

“You [PCC] already have strong cooperatives. Now, you need to partner with DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and DOST (Department of Science and Technology) to improve the quality of your product if you want to penetrate the market,” she said.

She added that there is a need to increase the knowledge of the cooperatives in marketing quality milk.

Senator Cynthia Villar, in her keynote speech read by her representative and Chief-of-Staff, Atty. Rheagee Tamaña, also emphasized the need to train smallholder farmers in agribusiness and entrepreneurship.

On the other hand, del Barrio emphasized the need to partner with other countries as well, because according to him, “it is difficult to develop the [carabao] industry without [foreign and local] partners.”

“The road to dairy development is rough, but with the partners from India, Laos, Thailand and the Philippines, it will become easier for us,” he said.

He added that since India is the largest milk-producing country in the world, the Philippines needs their knowledge and expertise.

 

India’s dairy industry

Three of the ten speakers in the conference are from India. They are Mr. Sriram Singh, executive director of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Dairy Services; Dr. Avnish Kumar, Principal Scientist of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR); and Mr. Sagi Ram Mohan Rao, Chief Operations Officer of the Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt., Ltd.

Singh tackled the key strategies employed by the NDDB to increase their country’s milk production. He shared that India’s production was scant during the 1950’s to 1960’s. It gradually increased in the 1970’s to 1990’s; and it skyrocketed in 2015-2016.

He shared that “linking the production center to the market in an efficient manner, setting up facilities in strategic locations, year round remunerative market for milk producers, timely and reliable services (e.g. animal feedstuff, Artificial Insemination facility, animal health care), creating institutions owned, managed, and controlled by the producers themselves (e.g. cooperatives),” helped in the rapid development of the industry in India.

Dr. Kumar, on the other hand, discussed Information Technology application in animal production, specifically in animal genetic resources inventory, data processing system for field survey of breeds, databases on animal genetic resources, and use of geographic information system.

He said that the benefits from the animal recording system are decision support for efficient farm management, genetic improvement of animals, disease management, among others.

Susie Martin, CEO and Director of Sales and Marketing of Laos Buffalo Dairy, and Charinee Chaiyochlarb of Murrah Farm in Thailand, also shared their respective experiences in marketing carabao milk products, along with problems encountered and strategies employed.

Other speakers are Dr. Libertado C. Cruz, former PCC Executive Director and Technical Adviser discussing the Philippine experience in CBED; Mr. Juan Miguel Mercado, owner of Mr. Moo’s Milk Planet Co., and Mr. Danilo V. Fausto, owner of DVF Dairy Farm, Inc., for the Philippine private sector perspective; and Dr. Eric P. Palacpac, chairperson of PCC’s Knowledge Management Division, on the Science of Delivery, which proposed a model or framework for a more effective delivery system in CBED.

The two-day event was organized by SEARCA in partnership with PCC, and was attended by about 200 farmers, entrepreneurs, government agencies, researchers, and scientists.

The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) romped off various awards during the Philippine Society of Animal Science (PSAS) 54th Scientific Seminar and Annual Convention held at Bayfront Hotel Cebu, Cebu City last October 18-21.

Dr. Arnel N. del Barrio, PCC-Executive Director, received the 2017 PSAS Distinguished Fellow, which is the highest award being bestowed by the PSAS, while Dr. Gundolino P. Bajenting of the PCC at Ubay Stock Farm was handed the 2017 PSAS-Advira Trading Corporation award as an Outstanding Farm Manager.

Other PCC personnel were bestowed top awards during the event for their oral and scientific poster presentations.

The “Best Scientific Oral Presentation for the Breeding and Genetics” award was given to Alexander M. Paraguas with the topic “Morphological and phylogenetic analysis as tools for conservation and management of swamp buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Calayan Island”. The other authors of the study were Therese Patricka C. Cailipan, Ester B. Flores, and Lilian P. Villamor.

The “Best Scientific Oral Presentation for the Biotechnology-Reproduction Award” was given to Excel Rio S. Maylem for the study “Thermotolerance identification in water buffalo using heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and its effect to semen quality in varying environmental conditions”. Her co-authors were Shanemae M. Rivera, Eufrocina P. Atabay, Edwin C. Atabay, and Emma V. Venturina.

The “Best Scientific Poster Presentation” was awarded to Alfred D. Sayson, Efurocina P. Atabay, Ma. Elizabeth C. Leoveras, Edwin C. Atabay, and Excel Rio S. Maylem for their poster titled “Defining the culture medium for the production of cattle embryos (Bos Taurus) for cryopreservation by vitrication method”.

In the election for the governing council members and PSAS chapter officers for 2018, PCC’s Dr. Ester B. Flores of the Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit was elected vice president (and automatic incoming president after next year’s convention).

The participation of 82 PCC researchers during the PSAS provided them opportunities to present the current researches on buffaloes and other livestock and paved the way to inspire them to fulfill the vision of the agency to be the premiere livestock researcher institute in the country.

The theme of the scientific seminar and convention was “Animal Productivity and Food Safety: Enhancing Safe and Healthy Animal-Based Products”.

The Philippine Carabao Center’s (PCC) research paper titled “Adoption of Buffalo-Based Technologies in the Impact Zones: Implications to Philippine Carabao Center’s Extension Program” was adjudged the “2017 Philippine Extension and Advisory Services Network (PhilEASNet) Outstanding Research Paper on Extension” by PhilEASNet, Inc.

The awarding rites were held during the PhilEASNet’s 2017 National Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry and Natural Resources (AFFNR) symposium at the Crown Legacy Hotel in Baguio City on October 3-4, 2017.

Dr. Eric P. Palacpac, PCC’s Information Officer V, who led the team that conducted the study, was also given the “Best Paper Presentation Award in the Extension Modality Research Category”.

The other members of the research team include Erwin Valiente, Rovelyn Jacang, and Ma. Teresa M. Manito.

Thirty-six research papers on extension were submitted for preliminary screening. The officers and members of the PhilEASNet, Inc. selected 10 papers for external panel review.  Four of these selected papers qualified for the final perusal.

“Gratefully, our paper was chosen as the winning entry,” Dr. Palacpac said.

The winning paper sought to analyze the uptake of PCC-recommended technologies on buffalo dairying by farmer-clients in the National and Regional Impact Zones using sigma scoring method for adoption.

The symposium, with the theme: “Strengthening the Philippine AFFNR Extension for Rural Transformation in a Globalized Era,” aimed to update and engage the extension professionals and practitioners in the discourse of the current issues and initiatives affecting practice of extension in the country.

In order to generate a productive exchange of new ideas and best extension practices, the symposium showcased both plenary and four parallel sessions namely: extension governance, capacity building, extension modalities, and capacity building and extension modalities. Each parallel session has eight oral paper presentations.

The symposium also highlighted the election of PhilEASNet’s, Inc. new set of officers wherein Dr. Palacpac was elected as a member of the Board of Directors who will serve from 2018 to 2020.

More than 1,000 participants, from across the country, attended the two-day symposium. They were composed of farmers, extension practitioners and professionals from local government units, provincial offices, State Universities and Colleges, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Agricultural Training Institute, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, and Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, among others.

PhilEASNet, Inc. is a national organization of extension professionals and practitioners which serves as a partner advocate in creating avenues for the continuing development of a cadre of morally responsible, competent, dedicated and self-directed experts in the pursuit of advancing theory and practice of extension.

Twenty-one participants consisting of farmers, Local Government Unit officials, and staff from three centers of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) underwent a training-workshop for facilitators under the Farmer’s Livestock School on Dairy Buffalo Production (FLS-DBP) project.
The training-workshop, conducted last September 20 – October 2, 2017 at the PCC headquarters in the Science City of Muñoz, was aimed at enhancing the Carabao Development Program (CDP) and at the same time strengthen collaboration among capabilities of key stakeholders of PCC, LGUs and farmer-clients.
The FLS-DBP project, which has already conducted two facilitators’ training-workshops in the past, adapts a platform for trainers and participants to learn interactively by exchanging ideas and breaking the teacher-student barrier.
The participants are equipped with knowledge and skills on facilitation and technical aspects of dairy buffalo production through series of lectures with actual demonstration, workshops, field exposure and hands-on activities supervised by FLS-DBP module developers from PCC and PCAARRD.
The trainees went through six training courses covering topics on: (1) Preparing Facilitators for FLS Implementation; (2) Mobilizing Communities for FLS; (3) Raising Healthy and Productive Dairy Buffalo; (4) Building Enterprises from Buffalo; (5) Participatory Technology Development; and (6) Participatory Tools to Measure FLS Effects and Impacts.
Dr. Eric P. Palacpac, Information Officer V and Project Leader of FLS-DBP project, congratulated the trainees during their closing ceremony saying “… it is just the start of a greater challenge as by the following year, you are expected to conduct and impart the knowledge gained from more than two weeks of intensive training to at least 125 farmers from five respective communities in Laguna, Cagayan, Iloilo and Capiz, Bohol and Cebu”.
Dr. Arnel N. Del Barrio, PCC executive director, in his inspirational message imparted what he envisions to be the impact of the FLS on the carabao industry. He emphasized the importance of linkages among the facilitators to maintain partnership and commitment to achieve the goals of the CDP in every community.
Dr. Annabelle B. Sarabia, Chief of the PCC Research and Development Division, expressed her full support to participants who composed the third batch of FLS-DBP facilitators.
The training-workshop was organized by the PCC’s Knowledge Management Division under Dr. Palacpac. His staff members, Ms. Rovelyn T. Jacang and Erwin M. Valiente, served as facilitators.

An International Conference on Carabao-based Enterprise Development (CBED), expected to be attended by about 200 participants from the Philippines and other Asian countries, is set to be held at the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), National Headquarters, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija on October 26-27, 2017.

The event is organized by the PCC and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Studies and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

It is meant to boost efforts in developing the carabao industry toward food and nutrition security and livelihood development in the country and some member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The CBED stakeholders will exchange during the conference scientific and technological knowledge and best practices on buffalo-based enterprise development, discuss government policies, regulations, support facilities and logistics that are vital in the development of carabao-based dairy enterprises; and, explore mutually beneficial partnerships, collaboration and cooperation in relevant research and development and initiatives, the organizers said.

Senator Cynthia Villar, Chair of the Committees on Agriculture and Food and Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, is keynote speaker during the opening program on October 26.

The plenary sessions will start after the opening ceremonies.

Scientists and experts from the Philippines, India, Thailand and Laos will present their respective topics during the two-day event.

In the first plenary session, institutional perspective on CBED will be tackled. Dr. Libertado Cruz, former Executive Director and Technical Adviser of PCC will discuss “Carabao-based Enterprise Development: from Theory to Practice”; Mr. Sriram Singh, Executive Director of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Dairy Services in India will share the “History and Lessons from India’s National Dairy Development Board”; Dr. Avnish Kumar, Principal Scientist of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) in India will discuss “Application of Information Technology in Field Survey and Dairy Buffalo Recording System”.

Perspective from the private sector in Asia will be discussed during the second plenary session. Mr. Ram Mohan Rao, Senior General Manager of the Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt. Ltd. in Delhi, India will discuss “Innovative Practices and Products from Mother Dairy”.   Ms. Susie Martin, CEO and Director of Sales and Marketing in Laos Buffalo Dairy, and Ms. Chairinee Chaiyochlarb of Murrah Farm in Thailand, will also share their experiences in enterprise development.

In the third plenary session, the continuation of discussions from the private sector’s perspective will be carried out, featuring speakers from the Philippines. Mr. Mike Mercado, owner of Mr. Moo’s Milk Planet Co will discuss “Mr. Moo: Sustaining Cooperative Gains through Innovative Partnerships” while Mr. Danilo Fausto, proprietor of the DVF Farm, Inc. will present “The DVF Gatas ng Kalabaw Experience in Value-adding and Mainstreaming Products in the Market”.

Topics on “Mainstreaming CBED in the Philippines and ASEAN” will be discussed during the final plenary session on the second day of the event. Dr. Flordeliza Lantican, SEARCA Value Chain Analysis Project Team Leader will tackle “Strengthening and Enhancing Competitiveness of CBED through Sustainable Value Chains. Dr. Eric Palacpac, Chief of the PCC’s Knowledge Management Division, on the other hand, will discuss “The Science of Delivery: Exploring Dynamics between Technical and Local Knowledge within Delivery Systems for CBED”.

The event will be concluded with a tour of dairy facilities and dairy farms at PCC and nearby areas.