Manila, Philippines—Unlike the pastillas de leche that you typically find at the grocery, the sweets sold at the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) inside the University of the Philippines (UP) in Los Baños have a soft consistency and creamy texture and they almost melt in your mouth. They are quite flavorful, thanks to the fact that the pastillas are made from carabao’s milk, instead of cow’s milk.
According to Dr. Arnel del Barrio, who has headed the government research institute under the Department of Agriculture since 1997, carabao’s milk has a higher fat content than cow’s milk.
“Generally, carabao’s milk is richer in terms of minerals and vitamins,” says Dr. del Barrio, adding that cheese from carabao’s milk is one of PCC’s best-selling products.
Housed in what appears to be an old and dilapidated UP school structure, the Philippine Carabao Center started selling milk products in 2003 to address typical funding shortages often experienced by government agencies.
Aside from Filipino favorites such as choco milk, yoghurt, and different flavors of pastillas, the store also sells gourmet products such as white cheese and different kinds of sausages.
Last year, the store earned a gross revenue of P6.2 million (90 percent from milk and 10 percent from meat products).
This was used to bankroll farm operations that cover 100 carabaos, of which 20 that are milk-producing. Target production per day is about 100 liters or roughly five liters per carabao.
Dr. Del Barrio says, “Because of the milk business, we are able to manage operations in the farm.”
The PCC also started helping farmers transform their animals into milk-producing (also means income producing) carabao. To cite, a community in General Trias, Cavite can already produce around 70,000 liters of milk.
When asked about the common impression that carabao meat is tougher than cow meat, Dr. Del Barrios says that tough meat usually comes from carabaos that have been retired from work.
He adds: “Given the same feed, race, condition, and age – carabaos and cows are comparable in terms of toughness.”
It’s the carabao, however, that is the center of attention of the PCC and customers are happy that it provides a steady stream of products from the carabao.
The cars that line up daily to purchase products give an inkling of the store’s popularity. Indeed, it is a refreshing discovery amid the unpretentious surroundings.
Just like the lotus flower that rises above muddy waters, this government-run store provides not only mouth-watering milk and meat products but also serves as a sparkling example of what can be done even by the poorest farmer, when touched by an ounce of daring and creativity.