EXCITEMENT FILLED THE AIR in Lomangog, Ubay Wednesday during the grand celebration of the first ever Bohol Dairy Festival.

Gov. Edgar M. Chatto led the grand event with Mayor Galicano Atup, Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Bing Lapiz and representatives from partner local government units (LGUs) of Alicia, Mabini, San Miguel and Dagohoy.

National Dairy Authority (NDA) Administrator Grace Cenas ushered her staff to the venue led by NDA OIC Dept. Manager for Operations Dr. Jaime Lopez, NDA OIC Dept. Manager for Visayas Monina Mangubat and NDA Dept. Manager Rene de Guzman.

Other guests gracing the event were Boy Pernia from the Office of Cong. Aris Aumentado of the Second District, Ubay Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) Director Dr. Caro Sales, Ubay Stock Farm OIC Marianito Doydora, Cherry Merin representing Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), partners from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bohol Dairy Producers Association (BoDPA), Department of Tourism (DOT) and Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).

Themed “Celebrating Milestones of the Bohol Dairy Industry,” the event signaled the province’s great feat in being able to produce its first 1,000 liters of milk, 500 liters each from dairy cattle and dairy carabaos, prompting Dr. Sales to later lead a Milk Toast among the crowd.

Gov. Chatto proudly admitted that this is a “realization of a long dream of putting everybody together in one boat wherein industries are in harmony with one another and with environment protection.”

“This is also to celebrate the strong partnerships created between and among the people of Ubay and its partner LGUs and different associations,” Dr. Caro added, consequently admitting that “we are now on our journey to our next 1,000 liters of milk.”

The celebration coincided with the blessing of the town’s dairy facilities like the NDA Farm, PCC Milk Processing Center, NDA Milk Processing Center, and the BoDPA Office.

Several carabaos were distributed to beneficiary farmers during the celebration whose money value, including those disseminated since the start of the program, has already reached P150M.

Bohol is now aiming to be the Milk Capital of Visayas, if not of the entire country, and this could never be far with the province having the biggest milk processing facility in the region.

The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian is now into its information caravan and milk campaign through the social mobilization of its milk program and is even simultaneously conducting a milk value chain analysis.

It is also into the adoption of a unified health program by giving trainings to Barangay Livestock Aides (BALA) and health technicians.

Thirty schools in the province, through the DepEd, are now into the Gatas sa Eskwelahan, supporting the Provincial Government’s milk program, making medical doctors more than happy, especially pediatricians.

This is also in clear support of the Chatto-Lim Administration’s HEAT IT Bohol Program, with the Health of the Boholanos being on its prime agenda.

Gov. Chatto believes in the “potential of the milk industry and that it dovetails on others,” generating income and increasing livelihood opportunities for the people.

Dr. Lapiz narrated how the governor instructed her to draft a memo urging hotels, resorts, restaurants and similar establishments to serve native Boholano beverages using native ingredients as welcome drinks to their guests.

“Gov. Chatto gave our office a directive to push for green economies and to choose industries and projects where Bohol has an edge, as in the field of tourism,” Dr. Lapiz told the huge crowd.

Bohol is now undeniably a well-known world-class tourist destination and the Provincial Leadership aims to take advantage of this “edge” as compared to other provinces.

Just in Ubay, its local leadership is now bent on pushing the town’s natural beauty to become coveted tourist stops.

For one, this would make one take-in and savor the breath-taking beauty of the pristine meadows of Cambugsay.

NDA Administrator Cenas praised Gov. Chatto’s famed leadership and favorably approves of the cross breeding of cattle animals specifically milk-producing ones.

The milk program is now focusing its energy on the cross-breeding of Siquijor native cattle, Jersey cattle and Australian red, what farmers are referring to as “Siqseyred,” which could be proudly called “our very own.”(JLV/PGBh/EDCom)