Today, September 1, 2015, Senator Cynthia A. Villar, is the guest of honor and speaker at the Gatas Turismo event of the PCC. Hosted by Dr. Arnel Del Barrio, the Center's Executive Director and ably assisted by Dr. Liza G. Battad and Asst. Director, Filomeno Manual supported by the gracious officers and staff of the Carabao Center. Also present are the fifty five (55) cooperatives under the Nueva Ecija Dairy Program and the Mayors of San Jose City, Marivic Belena, Lorna Mae Vero of Llanera, Areli Grace Santos of General Natividad and Vice Mayor Tekila Alvarez of the Science City of Muñoz. The group visited the breeding pool and the laboratory facility of the center. Senator Villar discussed the program of supporting the dairy farmers nationwide through the paiwi program and TESDA training to the farmers. The PCC will be a training ground for ruminants and a tourism site for those who want to see how a dairy farm is being run.
THE PHILIPPINE CARABAO CENTER TODAY
The Philippine Carabao Industry
The Philippine carabao, is a major contributor to the total agricultural economy of the country. Its main economic beneficiaries are the smallholder-farmers, who own 99% of this important animal resource. The volume of meat production from this sub-sector reached 140,034 metric tons in 2013, valued at PHP10.74 Billion at current prices (BAS, 2014). Meanwhile, milk production from carabao is estimated at 6.6 million liters in 2014 valued at PHP330 million (BAS, 2014). The larger contribution of the sub-sector was in terms of yield of major crop production, where carabao provided significant draft power requirement at an estimated value of PHP8.16 billion.
As of July 1, 2014, the population of carabao in the Philippines was 2.86 million head (BAS, 2014). In terms of regional distribution, Region 6 (Western Visayas) ranked first, accounting for about 10.98% of the total population. Other regions in the top five are: Region 4 (CALABARZON & MIMAROPA), Region 5 (Bicol Region), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), and Region 8 (Eastern Visayas). These regions accounted for about 47.69% (1.36 million head) of the total carabao population
The National Carabao Development Program (NCDP)
The establishment of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) through Republic Act 7307 marks the institutionalized effort of the government to develop the carabao sub-sector.
The PCC, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) was established in 1992 and operationalized in 1993. Historically, PCC was an offshoot of the significant gains achieved from the United Nations Development Programme/Food and Agriculture Organization (UNDP/FAO)-assisted project called “Strengthening of the Philippine Carabao Research and Development Center (PCRDC) under the umbrella of the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD) and which was carried out in two phases covering the period 1982–1992.
The NCDP is premised on the potential benefits to be derived from crossing the riverine buffaloes with the Philippine carabao to improve the genetic potentials for meat and milk production without disregard of draft and hide.
The NCDP takes cognizant of the need to conserve the existing germplasm of the native animals and at the same time establishing gene pools of elite animals intended for milk and meat improvement.
The ultimate aim of the program is to establish buffalo-based enterprises by capacitating the farmers towards employment generation, additional income, and better well-being.
However, in spite of such potential role, small hand tractors are increasingly replacing the carabao as a source of farm power, particularly in irrigated rice-producing areas. Given this development, the Philippine carabao is now being improved as potential source of meat and milk.
Improve the general well-being and competitiveness of the livestock industry stakeholders through: (a) Animal Bitechnology and Technology Development; (Genetic Improvement, Food safety and Environmental Compliance); (b) Technology dissemination and knowledge resource management; (c) Active private sector participation; (d) Livestock-based enterprises; (e) Policy reforms to sustain development of livestock enterprises; Thus, ensuring socio-economic empowerment for nation building; Establishment of a carabao production system that emphasizes entrepreneurship above that of subsistence system would allow millions of rural families to improve their income and ameliorate their economic conditions.
Promoting cooperativism among small-holder farmers in target communities allows them to harness the power of group endeavors. Community organization perpetuates group action and empowerment.
PCC supports the establishment of community organizations and cooperatives envisioned to grow into independent and potent avenues in promoting carabao-based enterprises. Through cooperatives, the smallholder farmers can create a formidable means for putting a business at a scale common only among commercial producers. Produce, either in the form of milk, meat or breeding animals, can be consolidated, graded, processed and traded to be more competitive in the commercial market.
Cooperatives are to be federated to further lend strength, forming a second level organization that will take care of marketing and other concerns over and above the issues on production.
“Seeding” and “incubation” of cooperatives are initiated first at the National Impact Zone (NIZ) and in Regional Impact Zones (RIZ) all over the country.
Promoting cooperativism among small-holder farmers in target communities allows them to harness the power of group endeavors. Community organization perpetuates group action and empowerment.
PCC Regional Centers
PCC at Mariano Marcos State University
Name: Prof. Grace Marjorie R. Recta
Email Address: gmrrecta@yahoo.com / pccmmsu@gmail.com
Location: Batac, Ilocos Norte
PCC at Cagayan State University
Name:Prof. Franklin T. Rellin
Email Address: pccpiat07@yahoo.com / ftrellin078@yahoo.com
Location: Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
PCC at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Name:Ms. Gloria M. dela Cruz
Email Address: pccdmmmsu95@yahoo.com
Location: Rosario, La Union
PCC at Central Luzon State University
Name:Dr. Edwin C. Atabay
Telephone Number:(044) 456-5238
Location: Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
PCC at University of the Philippines at Los Baños
Name: Dr. Jesus Rommel V. Herrera (Officer-In-Charge)
Email Address: pccuplb@gmail.com
Location: Los Banes, Laguna
PCC at Visayas State University
Name: Dr. Julius V. Abela
Email Address: pccvsu@gmail.com
Mobile Number :( 63) 920-855-3990
Telephone Number :( 053) 335-5648
Location: Baybay City, Leyte
PCC at West Visayas State University
Name: Mr. Arn D. Granada
Email Address: pccwvsu@yahoo.com / granadaarn@yahoo.com
Location: Calinog, Iloilo
PCC at La Carlota Stock Farm
Name:Mr. Ariel L. Abaquita
Email Address: pcclcsf@yahoo.com / areilabaquita@yahoo.com
Location: La Carlota City, Negros Occidental
PCC at Ubay Stock Farm
Name:Dr. Caro B. Salces
PCC Ubay Bohol
Location: Ubay, Bohol
PCC at Mindanao Livestock Production Complex
Name:Dr. Cecilio G. Velez (Officer-In-Charge)
Location: Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte
PCC at Central Mindanao University
Name:Dr. Lowell C. Paraguas
Telephone Number:N/A
Location: Musuan, Bukidnon
PCC at Mindanao State University
Name: Ms. Jane B. Tranquillan
Location: Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur
PCC at University of Southern Mindanao
Name:Mr. Benjamin John C. Basilio
Location: Kabacan, North Cotabato
In Nueva Ecija
The Nueva Ecija Federation of Dairy Carabaos Cooperatives NEFEDCCO started its operation on January 22, 2002 with only nine farmer-cooperatives. These cooperatives were the first recipients of the Philippine Carabao Center’s (PCC) Dairy Buffalo Module. To date, the federation has 55 cooperatives under its umbrella.
NEFEDCCO’s main objective is to help its members market their milk. It buys the milk from its coop-members, processes it into different milk products and sells these items to the general public at reasonable prices.
Some of the products that NEFEDCCO produces and markets are flavored milk drinks (banana, strawberry and choco-flavored), pastillas (pastillas de leche, plain pastillas and ube pastillas), cheeses (quick-melt white cheese, paneer and plain white cheese), yogurt drinks, leche flan and ice cream. Five of NEFEDDCO’s top milk producers in 2014 were recognized in 2015, they are - Catalanacan Multi-Purpose Cooperative topped all the other members with a total of 44,052.10 liters of milk sold to the federation followed by Pulong-Buli Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative (24,986.14 liters), Bagong Pag-asa sa Bagong Talavera PMPC (20,306.90 liters), Casile Dairy Cooperative (16,135.65 liters) San Vicente Producers Cooperative (15,189.30 liters). The federation enjoys the continuing support from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the local government units (LGUs) of Nueva Ecija.
With the help of these entities, they were able to build their own processing plant, purchase storage equipment like freezer, holding tank and cooling tank, and acquire vehicles for use in transporting milk and laboratory equipment.
On the other hand, because of the increasing volume of its milk products, NEFEDCCO now markets its products outside of Nueva Ecija. They have sellers in Batangas, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Makati City and Quezon City.
By 2016, NEFEDCCO aims to be the primary organization to process and sell carabao milk products in the country.
(From: The PCC Website http://www.pcc.gov.ph/)