TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 22 (PIA) -- To help Bohol’s dairy industry, Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado said he would come up with an executive order mandating the use of Gatas Bol-anon as the official welcome drink in Bohol’s tourist destinations as well as in the Capitol offices.

Gatas Bol-anon, a locally processed cow or carabao milk in pure or chocolate and other fruity flavors, is processed by the National Dairy Authority (NDA) or the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) after proving its economic viability as providing alternative income to farmers.

The move became part of the governor’s mandate to promote and patronize local farm products like the processed milk.

Speaking during the 6th Bohol Milk Festival in Bood, Ubay, Aumentado cited the critical role the dairy industry can give to health and the economy.

Bohol Milk Festival celebrates the resilience of the industry, which has suffered the blunt edge of the typhoon and the series of calamities that affected the milk yields of the stressed animals, according to Festival convenor and Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz.

Spreading the celebration now to eastern Bohol with the milk festival, Aumentado has asked the organizers to set the second day of the annual Sandugo Agricultural Fair, being the livestock day, as highlighting the milk festival.

The Sandugo Festival events happen mostly in Tagbilaran City, and this year, the event is extended to Ubay.

Aumentado, who saw the viability of dairy industry especially when it largely contributes to the effort to give kids proper nutrition, also cites the dairy enterprise capability or giving a livestock farmer an additional income in the milk he can sell to the government.

Fernando Dupalco, a dairy farmer from Vicente, Ubay, in an interview said he has six female carabaos he uses to milk.

His carabaos, most of them cross breeds, can give between 6-15 liters of milk a day, which sells for P50 a liter.

Dupalco, who sits as a member of the Bohol Dairy Cooperative Board, said most of their members are now seeking ways to obtain more female carabaos, saying that if two of his milking carabaos can give a combined milk yield of 16 liters a day, they could have P800 in a day.

A collector from the Philippine Carabao Center collects his harvested milk, processes it, and sells it to the government’s supplemental feeding program.

Compared to cow’s milk, a carabaos milk contains between 7%-8% fat which provides more nutritional energy in increase muscle mass, has 10% less lactose, has a low cholesterol content, has over 10% proteins, is superior in calcium, iron and phosphorus, and is a better dietary food. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)