SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ (PIA) — The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) is intensifying its initiatives to uplift rural livelihood by expanding programs that enhance the productivity and market potential of the country’s native carabao.
Over the past five years, PCC has recorded 145,181 genetically improved calves, with 90 percent intended for milk and meat production and 10 percent for draft power.
PCC Executive Director Liza Battad said this milestone represents what she calls the “carabao glow-up”—a transformation toward a more productive and sustainable carabao industry that uplifts smallholder farmers and strengthens cooperatives.
“The accelerated shift toward a more productive carabao population is expected to strengthen farmer cooperatives due to higher volumes of milk and meat handled collectively, enhance market linkages, significantly increase farmers’ incomes, and improve household nutrition through greater milk availability,” Battad furthered.
This transformation has already yielded around 12 million kilograms of milk, supported 114,380 jobs, and reinforced the carabao’s role in food security and rural development.
Building on this momentum, PCC aims to scale up the adoption of genetically superior carabaos across its service areas, supporting cooperative-led enterprises and benefiting thousands of farming families.
Based on the national dairy animal inventory, carabao tops the list with 82,908 heads, followed by goats with 36,022, and cattle with 35,322.
With 99% of the carabao population owned by smallholder farmers, increasing its productivity directly translates into better income and improved livelihood for rural households.
PCC-assisted cooperatives are also supplying pasteurized milk to the feeding programs of the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, generating over ₱2.9 billion in revenues from 2019 to 2024 while directly supporting child nutrition.
To strengthen market access, PCC has introduced innovative business models such as the Dairy Box, now with 80 outlets nationwide, 18 of which are positioned as Kadiwa ng Pangulo Dairy Box, which absorb and market dairy cooperative produce.
Meanwhile, the Milka Krem, an advocacy dairy outlet and café managed by PCC, showcases high-quality carabao milk and other dairy products, serving as both a retail hub and a support system for dairy farmers.
Beyond dairy, PCC is also creating new income opportunities for farmers through Cara Cuero, a brand developed by PCC at Central Luzon State University that transforms carabao hides into premium leather products for the high-end market. (CLJD/CNG, PIA 3-Nueva Ecija)
