Lucban farmers get carabaos

LUCBAN, Quezon, Philippines – Officers and members of the Rotary Club of Lucena-North (RCLN) visited Monday the 47 carabaos (water buffalos) they awarded to the farmers of Barangays May-it, Palola, Kilib and Kabatete in this town to monitor their pregnancies and evaluate if some of them are now ready for breeding.

RCLN president Adrian de Vera said they need to be sure that the animals are prepared for the artificial insemination and are in the best of health to spawn young buffaloes.

Past president Jess Dael told The STAR this project was conceptualized during his term in 2005 and was realized in July 2007, after preliminary submission of documents and seeking matching grants from the Rotary International in Anaheim, California.

Dael said they started with 23 buffaloes, awarded to Banahaw Farmers Federation headed by Ma. Bernadita Villaverde. To date, the buffaloes now number 47.

He added the farmers adopted the “paiwi” system wherein a buffalo’s offspring is passed on to another farmer to keep the animals multiplying and benefiting other farmers.

Lucban Mayor Celso Olivier Dator expressed gratitude to the Rotarians, assuring them his office is ready to extend any support to further their cause.

Dator sent his veterinary inspector Larry Esperanza to help the group evaluate the animals’ reproductive condition and advise them when are the animals are likely to conceive and give birth.