Philippine Carabao Center marks 20 years

MANILA, Philippines - In the livestock sector, the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) is hailed as the leader in the national livestock biotechnology research and development program.

Behind this mandate, PCC’s pillars and partners help steer the agency’s social responsibility in pushing for the success of the Carabao Development Program (CDP).

On the occasion of its 20th anniversary celebration, PCC underscores the significant contributions of these pillars in the creation of the agency. They are to be honored in a ceremony to be held at the agency’s national headquarters in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija on March 20.

The personalities who will be recognized include former president Joseph Estrada, Sen. Leticia Shahani, former agriculture assistant secretary Lino Nazareno, Dr. Fortunato Battad, Dr. Patricio Faylon, Dr. Vicente Momongan, and Dr. Surendra Ranjhan.

They are among the key officials in their time who paved the way to make sure that the law creating the PCC, Republic Act 7307, was realized and carried out as mandated.

Former president   Estrada will be the guest of honor and speaker during the program.

The former president is acknowledged as the “Father of PCC” for having  principally authored  the Senate bill “Creating the Philippine Carabao Center to Propagate and Promote the Philippine Carabao and for other Purposes” in 1989 when he was still a senator.

The bill eventually became RA 7307, otherwise known as the “Philippine Carabao Act of 1992”.

The program recognizing these personalities is one of the highlights of the week-long celebration which starts on March 18 and ends March 22.

The winners of the search for outstanding dairy farmers, dairy cooperative, village-based artificial insemination technicians, and others will be appropriately honored and given monetary awards.

Employees who have delivered outstanding performance during the past year under the categories outstanding supervisor, outstanding development officer, and outstanding support staff will also receive recognition and corresponding cash prize.

Also to be highlighted in the celebration are the major final outputs (MFOs) of the agency such as the programs on the expanded artificial insemination program and the carabao-based enterprise development.

These MFOs have been concretized thru the agency’s deliberate effort to bring about economic and social empowerment among smallholder farmers and their communities in the countryside.

Some 1,000 guests, farmers, partners, and other stakeholders of PCC are expected to join the 20 years celebration of PCC.

Dr. Liza G. Battad, chief of the planning and special projects division and the chairperson of this year’s anniversary committee, said the celebration is also a thanksgiving for  the agency’s  achievements for the past two decades.