Pangasinan town honors war hero and carabao

Motorists driving through Bugallon town in Pangasinan won’t miss the giant statue of a farmer and a carabao.

And upon seeing it, they will likely conclude that it reflects the rural community’s homespun charm.

For Bugallon residents, however, the statue has more than just aesthetic value as it also drives them to improve their carabao industry.

Each year, Bugallon Day has also been celebrated as Carabao Day.

During this year’s celebration on Jan. 12, 24 decorated and painted carabao were paraded on the streets to represent each of the town’s villages.

Bugallon used to be known as Salasa but the town was renamed in 1921 to honor its own hero, Lt. Col. Jose Torres Bugallon, who was felled by a bullet while fighting American soldiers in La Loma on Feb. 5, 1899.

When Filipino revolutionists, led by Gen. Antonio Luna, learned that the 25-year-old Bugallon had been wounded, he barked the following orders: “Bugallon wounded. Order forward. He must be saved at all costs. Bugallon is worth 500 Filipino soldiers. He is one of my hopes for future victory.”

But efforts to save Bugallon were in vain. The young soldier died.

These days, Bugallon town has been earning a reputation for the carabao trade. Mayor Jumel Espino said the town government prohibits the indiscriminate slaughter of carabao to promote its carabao industry.

The ban has helped preserve the town’s carabao population.

Espino said some carabao awarded by the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to farmers’ groups in the town had died, but there were still over 500 river buffaloes and crossbred carabao, and more than 100 homegrown carabao in the villages of Pangascasan and Angarian.

Each milking carabao produces 3-4 liters for 300 days, which could mean at least P60,000 in monthly income for the farmers. Johanne Margarette Macob, Inquirer Northern Luzon