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Carabao Racing: Philippine Carabao Center Genetic Muñoz, Nueva Ecija Breeds Dairy

The document discusses the carabao, a water buffalo breed used by farmers in the Philippines and Guam. It details the establishment of a center to conserve and promote the carabao, their importance to Philippine farmers, and their historical population levels. It also describes carabao racing as a popular sport and mentions their cultural significance in Guam.

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59 views

Carabao Racing: Philippine Carabao Center Genetic Muñoz, Nueva Ecija Breeds Dairy

The document discusses the carabao, a water buffalo breed used by farmers in the Philippines and Guam. It details the establishment of a center to conserve and promote the carabao, their importance to Philippine farmers, and their historical population levels. It also describes carabao racing as a popular sport and mentions their cultural significance in Guam.

Uploaded by

alondra gayon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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In 1993, the 

Philippine Carabao Center was established to conserve, propagate, and promote the


carabao as a source of draught animal power, meat, milk, and hide to benefit the rural farmers
through carabao genetic improvement, technology development and dissemination, and
establishment of carabao-based enterprises, thus ensuring higher income and better nutrition. The
National Water Buffalo Gene Pool in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, is a facility for continuous selection,
testing, and propagation of superior breeds of dairy buffalo.[15]
In 2003, 3.2 million carabao were in the Philippines; 99% belonged to small farmers who have
limited resources, low income, and little access to other economic opportunities. [9]
One of the many reasons for the failure of the attempted Japanese pacification of the Philippines
during their 1941–1945 occupation was their indifference to the basics of the Philippine economy.
The carabaos provided the necessary labor that allowed Philippine farmers to grow rice and other
staples. Japanese army patrols would not only confiscate the rice, but would also slaughter the
carabaos for meat, thereby preventing the farmers from growing enough rice to feed the large
population. Before World War II, an estimated three million carabaos inhabited the Philippines. By
the end of the war, an estimated nearly 70% of them had been lost. [16]
The old payatak method of farming is still the method of choice in Northern Samar. The soil of the
rice paddy is first softened with rainwater or diverted watershed, then the farmer guides a group of
carabaos in trampling the planting area until it is soggy enough to receive the rice seedlings. This
time-consuming task produces lower yields and lower income when compared with the
advancement in irrigated fields.[17]
Despite the popular notion that the carabao has been declared the national animal of the Philippines,
[18]
 the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines has stated that this has no
basis in Philippine law.[19]

Carabao racing[edit]

Carabao racing at the fiesta of Aliaga Nueva Ecija

Carabao race in Pulilan, Bulacan, Philippines. This picture was taken around the time of the Carabao Festival
honoring the patron San Isidro Labrador.
Carabao racing is a widely popular sport among farmers and carabao enthusiasts in the Philippines.
In central, southern Luzon and South Cotabato some fiestas are highlighted with carabaos racing up
towards the finish line. Training and conditioning of the race carabao to its full extent is a serious job.
Farmers and their trustworthy carabaos gather together to race in a 500 metres (1,600 ft) dirt road.
Spectators fill up this unique spectacle, some betting on their best carabaos, others watch for the
thrill. The carabaos, geared with their carts on their back, race together with their farmer to win
prizes. The race is divided into two classes, one for amateur or first-time carabao racers and the
other is for the veteran carabao racers. A race carabao can be bought for ₱35,000 to ₱60,000, with
the price increasing with the number of races that it wins. Proven race winners can command a price
as high as ₱200,000.

In Guam[edit]
Carabaos were introduced to Guam by Spanish missionaries in the 17th century from domestic
stock in the Philippines to be used as beasts of burden. A feral herd on the US Naval Magazine in
central Guam was classified as protected game, but the population has been declining since 1982,
most likely due to illegal hunting.[20]
Carabaos were used for farming and for pulling carts. They were fairly common on Guam before the
20th century, with a population numbering in the thousands. Today, they are rare in most parts of the
island except in the US Naval Magazine near the village of Santa Rita, which is fenced on all sides.
The carabao population of Naval Magazine has grown to several hundred, to the point that they
have become a pest and caused environmental damage, and polluted the water supply in the Fena
Reservoir. In 2003, the Navy began a program of extermination to control the carabao population of
Naval Magazine, a move that was protested by many Chamorro people.[citation needed]
The carabao is considered a symbol of Guam. In the early 1960s, carabao races were a popular
sport in the island, especially during fiestas. Today, carabaos are a part of the popular culture. They
are often brought to carnivals or other festivities, and are used as a popular ride for children.
Carabao meat is sometimes eaten as a delicacy.[21

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