Dr. Caro Salces, former center director of the Philippine Carabao Center at Ubay Stock Farm (PCC@USF) in Bohol, has been named deputy executive director of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC). His appointment papers were signed by Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

Dr. Salces, who brings with him splendid performance as chief of the PCC@USF that oversees PCC’s operations in Cebu and Bohol, bared that his initial focus would be on improving the reproductive efficiencies specifically calving interval of buffaloes to significantly contribute to the development of carabao industry.

He said he is fully supportive of all the programs and initiative of his immediate boss at PCC, executive director Dr. Arnel del Barrio, and would work with him closely. 

According to him, the problem is the declining population of buffaloes due to low reproductive efficiencies and that slaughter rates overrun birth rates.

He said this is one of the areas that PCC would work on closely to meet the problem squarely.

“Operational research and research for development must work hand in hand,” he added.

Dr.  Salces took his oath of office last July 9 before Secretary Piñol at the DA. He succeeded Dr. Felomino Mamuad, who took his compulsory retirement last November.

As deputy executive director, one of his main functions is to oversee the regional centers’ operations and guide them towards achieving their major final outputs to contribute to the development of carabao-based enterprises.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Salces was the center director of PCC@USF since 1994 and one of the pioneers during PCRDC (a precursor of PCC) years. He became the “most outstanding center director of PCC” in 2016.

Under his leadership, he helped turn the PCC@USF as the “Best Performing Center” in 2015 and “Outstanding Regional Center” in 2018. The center was issued ISO certification in 2013 and has thus served as a driving force towards the envisaged transformation of the Province of Bohol, as the “Dairy Capital of the Philippines”.

It was also under his leadership that the center was successfully transformed into self-liquidating farm and enterprise operation with milk production in the area of coverage from zero to 1000 liters milk yield per day with annual sales of Php36 million in four Dairy Box outlets.

As a researcher, he has conducted more than 20 studies in agriculture and as a life member of the Philippine Society of Animal Science (PSAS), he authored or co-authored six best paper awards from 1987 to present. He also received the “Gawad Saka Award” of the Department of Agriculture for applied research in 2000-2001.

Dr. Salces finished his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Education at the Bohol Agricultural College in 1983 with cum laude honors. Seven years later, he earned his Master’s Degree in Animal Science at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. In 2000, he finished his Doctor of Philosophy degree in the same field also at UPLB.

He is married to Agapita O. Jandayan, who is a professor of Animal Breeding at UPLB. They are blessed with five children: Faye Yvonne, Cary Yrvin, Mariale Yasmin, Christian Ysrael, and Angelo Yzmael.