Federation of Cattle Raisers Assoc. of the Philippines:

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Federation of Cattle Raisers' Association of the Philippines

I. Contact Information

Name of Organization : Federation of Cattle Raisers Association of the Philippine (FCRAP)
Address : 39 Canada Street, Better Living Subdivision, Paranaque City (1711)
Name of Authorized Representative : Atty. Roberto J. Montalvan
Position in Organization : President
Name of Alternate Representative : Virgilio L. Badilla
Position in Organization : Secretary
Contact Numbers :
Tel. No. - (02) 823-55-29 / (02) 822-75-77
Fax No. - (02) 822-75-78
Mobile Phone - (0917) 813-71-04 / (0919) 623-983
E-mail Address - carmel@mindgate.com.ph

II. Organizational Information

Registration :
SEC Registration Number- 29007
Registry Date - October 14, 1965
Category SEC Registration-Non-stock corporation
Type of Institutional Membership - Organization
Type of Agribusiness : _______________
Number of Members : 1,000
Geographical Scope of Operation: National
Board of Directors/Officers:
President - Atty. Roberto J. Montalvan
First Vice-President - Martin M. Gomez, Emilio R. Espinosa, Jr.,
Pablo R. Lorenzo
Secretary - Virgilio L. Badilla
Treasurer - Alejandro L. Alcantara
Director - Jaime Jose L. Escano
Director - Marco P. Lorenzo
Director - Antonio A. Nocom
Director - Jerry V. Paras
Director - Renato S. Tayag

Vision :

A better growth of cattle industry in the future.
Promote and maintain the growth and improvement of agriculture and the cattle industry of the Phil., relative to the breeding and production of cattle and its by-products.

Mission :

The creation, organization and maintenance of cooperatives and experimental stations and such other organizations and projects as may be beneficial to the cattle industry.

 

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Perfectly suited to their environment
 
 
Australian export case study
Australian Brahman cattle have played an important role in opening up the north of the country to beef production. Perfectly suited to their environment, this special ‘bos Indicus’ breed has enabled areas of Australia's vast north which were previously unproductive to be used for profitable beef enterprises.



It was clear from the earliest days of breeding cattle in Australia that the traditional British breeds which were first brought to the country were not able to withstand the harsh drought conditions and cattle ticks found in Australia’s north.



Tolerance to heat is a major economic factor in tropical beef production.



When the body temperature rises, cattle become stressed.



Brahmans have a greater tolerance to heat than other breeds; they also have a reduced water intake, as well as an immune response to ticks because chemicals in their sweat glands acting as a repellent.



The Australian Brahman was developed by Australian cattlemen from a breed originating in the United States in the early 1900s where it had been developed from four different Indian cattle breeds and some British-bred cattle.



The earliest Brahman stock were imported into Australia in the 1930s and, since then, Brahman cattle numbers have grown to over four million, or 15 per cent of the national herd.



Through cross-breeding, Brahman genetics are now found in over 50 per cent of cattle in the country.



The Australian Brahman Breeders Association, the national body which helps cattlemen achieve production efficiency and market potential, was established in 1946. There are now 1,200 members.



The Association supports cattle breeders in many ways:  with registrations, performance recording, technical help, the outcomes of research and development, and a vigorous marketing program.



Association members travel the world to market their produce.



In December, for example, a group of eleven Association cattle breeders attended the XIII World Brahman Congress in Medellin, Colombia, and another group of eleven took part in the Beef Cattle Association of Thailand Field Day and Show in Kamphaengsan, to the west of Bangkok.



“The Association is keen to give members interested in exporting direct exposure to markets,” says the Australian Brahman Breeders Association CEO, John Croaker.



“It is important that exporters have the opportunity to interact personally with potential clients and get a complete understanding of the market conditions and industry in importing countries.”



The Australian Brahman Breeders Association helps with the marketing of live cattle, embryos and semen to many parts of the world, including Argentina, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Caledonia, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam.



 
 
 

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Livin’ la Vida Vaca

By Deni Rose M. Afinidad
If the Europeans go loco over soccer; the Americans, over baseball and basketball; and the Manilans, over badminton and boxing; the Masbateños go gaga over one sport with no height, weight, or ball requirement—only a lot of guts and dust eating.

The Filipino cow-tending community knows this sport as Rodeo Masbateño, a nationwide competition in which riders plunge into dirt to display their skills in activities directly or indirectly related to livestock raising such as riding and roping cattle and horses.

Now on its 12th year, the recent Rodeo Masbateño was staged last April 7 to 10 at the Rodeo Arena of Masbate City, Province of Masbate.

“For this year, the Rodeo’s aim is to continue fostering sportsmanship and camaraderie among participants, as reflected in this year’s theme, ‘Peace and Unity for Progress’,” said Vicente Revil, vice governor of Masbate province.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in her souvenir program message, stated that the Rodeo Masbateño is the country’s “most prestigious version of the rodeo.” She earlier released Presidential Decree 120, declaring Masbate as the “Rodeo Capital of the Philippines,” said Felimon Abelita, president of Rodeo Masbateño Inc. (RMI).

According to Antonio Kho, provincial governor of Masbate, the Rodeo enlisted Masbate in the tourism map, while Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano said rodeo is a sports tourism destination in the Philippines.

Wild, Wild West of the Southeast

According to Abelita, the rodeo is a spanking alternative leisure for Filipinos. The term “rodeo” came from the Spanish word “rodear” (to surround) and originally meant “roundup”.

According to a document that the Masbate provincial government provided, the origins of the rodeo may be traced to the early days of the American Cattle Industry (mid-19th century). Once or twice a year, cowhands rounded up cattle on the ranges and drove the herds to various marketing centers. There, in the celebration of the roundups, they staged informal competitions to exhibit the skills of their trade. The first formal rodeo contest was probably held in Cheyenne in 1872.

Today, a rodeo usually comprises of five standard events or of three nonstandard events coupled with a number of informal contests. The sport is essentially popular in the United States and Canada, and around 2000 rodeos are held annually in those countries. Most major rodeos are under the jurisdiction of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), located in Colorado.

In the Philippines, Rodeo Masbate started in 1993 as a tribute to the province’s cattle farmers, cowhands, cowboys, and thousands of families who directly and indirectly depend on cattle farming for a living.

At the time the rodeo was conceived, the local cattle industry was ailing. The launching of the Rodeo Masbate started to boost the industry and to make the Masbateños aware of their area’s potential for development as a Cattle Country.

The succeeding rodeos were elevated into a national event and have attracted participants from all over the country and abroad. These also have drawn crowds and investors from places as far as Laguna, Batangas, Cebu and Bicol.

From Rodeo Masbate, the festival was dubbed Rodeo Filipino, before it assumed its present name. A permanent rodeo site was also established and the RMI was formed to handle the annual event.

Beauty vs beast

If basketball devotees look up to Michael Jordan as a hard court superhero, Filipino cowboys revere the likes of Virgilio Espinosa, said a male participant from Benguet State University.

“We even memorize the names of these great Filipino cowboys and erect statues of them in our school,” he said, further stating that rodeo is a part of their school curriculum like some other universities and colleges that specialize on agricultural courses or veterinary medicine.

Even after they leave school, said Abelita, some of these students form farms and continue getting their bread and butter from cattle breeding.

Unlike other festivals that are glamorized by street dancing, the rodeo focuses on the educational aspect of the cattle industry through showcasing livestock handling skills, says Revil. It allows visitors to closely observe the latest techniques and technologies in handling livestock and horses for ranch and rodeo work.

Such skills are displayed at the competition proper, where each contest day is started with the ceremonial branding of cows.

From the first day until the last, the contestants competed for the overall championship in the Open and School categories of two major events-the Cattle Events and the Non-Cattle Events.

The Cattle Events are composed of sub-events such as Cattle Lassoing on Foot, Cattle Lassoing on Horseback, Cattle Wrestling on Foot, Casting Down, Carambola or Scramble, and Cattle Bareback Riding. Non-Cattle Events, on the other hand, are the following: Bull Whipping, Load Carrying, and Tug of War.

Almost all of these events are for both men and women, except for Cattle Lassoing on Horseback and Casting Down. To win, speed is the sole criterion for all events, except for Bull Whipping. The school with the most wins in all events is the grand victor. In case there would be a tie, this would be resolved through another Carambola.

Safety for both contenders and animals was, as always, of paramount concern. Horned animals were dehorned and large animals (those that the participants cannot possibly topple down) were disallowed.

One of the sidelights of the event was an auction where cattle ranchers, horse breeders, and feedlot operators presented their products to interested buyers and got the best prices for their livestock, thereby transforming the Rodeo Masbateño into a one-stop shop for all allied enterprises to do business in an atmosphere of fun.

Masbate aims to use the rodeo as a vehicle for development. The annual event has proven to be an excellent economic catalyst, generating various enterprises such as souvenir shops, hotels, restaurants, and other service facilities. More rodeos mean more visitors. More visitors mean more jobs, said the officers of the provincial government.

There are about 5,000 cowboys based in Masbate, according to Abelita. This has spurred the provincial administration to conduct horse riding training for free to encourage more participants. Its goal is to set a world record for introducing 1,000 horseback riders in next year’s Rodeo.

Like the first Filipino climber who aspires to be the first Asian to reach the peak of the Everest, the Masbateños also aspire to accelerate from being the Rodeo Capital of the Philippines to becoming the Rodeo Central of Asia, as RMI has laid out the blueprint to affiliate with PRCA for an accreditation and consent to participate in international rodeos.

“Our dream is to see a Filipino compete in the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas,” the provincial government of Masbate expressed in their souvenir program. “This is one event that the Filipino can compete equally with the best in the world.”