Carabao Center to honor Erap

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines – As it celebrates its 20th anniversary today, the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) will honor former President Joseph Estrada and six others for establishing the center and making it a leader in livestock biotechnology.

“Erap is considered the father of PCC as he was the principal Senate author of Republic Act 7307 otherwise known as the Philippine Carabao Act of 1992 that established (the center),” said PCC information officer Rowena Galang-Bumanlag.

Bumanlag said the law paved the way for a comprehensive carabao development program that focused on the conservation of the water buffalo’s genetic biodiversity for long-term and sustainable advancement and an organized genetic improvement system.”

“It also maximized the genetic gains through crossbreeding of riverine buffaloes with the indigenous swamp buffaloes to optimize performance for milk and meat without disregard for draft for medium-term requirements,” she added.

When Estrada became president in 1998, he launched the second phase of PCC’s development program, which centered on institutionalized upgrading and carabao-based enterprise development, Bumanlag said.

The other honorees are former senator Leticia Shahani, former Agriculture assistant secretary Lino Nazareno, Dr. Fortunato Battad, Dr. Patricio Faylon, Dr. Vicente Momongan, and Dr. Surendra Ranjhan.

The PCC is located in the Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija.