Rabbi D. Manlapaz is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who works as a medical technician in New Zealand, and his sister, Camille D. Manlapaz was given the chance to travel to Europe.

Rabbi was motivated by the world’s top dairy exporter, which gained a reputation for supplying high-quality dairy products around the world with its temperate climate, cuttingedge equipment, modern agriculture technologies, and quality gradedpasture dairy system. Rabbi worked there for eight years and believes that their farm has potential and could offer opportunities in their community. Using his free time, he conducted various consultations with dairy processors in the Philippines and New Zealand.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2022, Rabbi and his wife Jeth Mercado Manlapaz decided to take a holiday in December and spend time with his relatives in the Philippines. Instead of bringing the traditional “pasalubong,” he bought forage/silage chopper, which can cut dry and fresh grass, corn stalks, rice straws, and other agricultural detritus, simplifying and speeding up the preparation of buffalo feeds.

Manlapaz housed two Aeta families who periodically helped with animal husbandry and the development of fruitbearing crops in their farm.

As a result, the Manlapaz family was inspired to provide long-term employment to indigenous Aeta familes in Porac, Pampanga. Rabbi is keen to expand their buffalo farm and teach real farming techniques to Aeta families so that they can become self-sufficient. When the Pampanga provincial government publicly awards certifications of their ancestral territory in 2022, Rabbi’s ambitious project will benefit more Aeta households. He devotes his time to additional dairy research, as well as discussions with Porac City administration and meetings with the municipal mayor.

In addition to their laudable goal of assisting indigenous people, Rabbi knew that he must also make their farm lucrative to sustainably create more jobs. Rabbi believes that it is important to adopt the necessary upgrades to elevate their dairy farm operations from traditional farming to modern but cost-effective procedure to meet the changing expectations of their consumers.

Because he sees a lot of potential in dairy farming and product processing in the Philippines, Manlapaz envisioned forming an association to create jobs and help other local dairy producers in their area. He then formally established his farm, naming it ManlapazDavid Dairy Farm (MDDF) in honor of his family, in January 2023. Visualizing Pampanga as the Dairy Capital of Region III, and MDDF as a multiplier farm increasing the herd inventory, he knew that strong coordination with other dairy farms is required to ensure the region’s continuing supply of dairy milk.

Rabbi enlisted the help of Nile D. David, an animal science consultant who specializes in delivering healthcare instruction. Buffalo nutrition also includes deworming and administration of proper multivitamins. He also teaches the program for sustainable buffalo feeding and additionally provides service on artificial insemination. He also sought help from DA-PCC through Dr. Ericson N. Dela Cruz, Regional Center Director of DA-PCC at Central Luzon State University (CLSU). The center committed to provide technical support to the farm in terms of dairy buffalo entrepreneurship as well as on product processing and proper milk handling training. In the same year, DA-PCC at CLSU held trainings on processing pasteurized milk, chocolate milk, kesong puti, and pastillas, coffee milk, and ice cream. Also part of the training was on hygienic milk handling. Manlapaz and his team saw the potential of selling these products and started their own dairy business, branding it “PUKLO,” with the logo inspired by carabao horn and teat, which tells the story: “Nature has her own way of turning grass into abundant, delicious, and nutritious milk.”

MDDF believes that to sustain the farm, they needed innovation in the proper breeding and management of their buffalo herd, investment in the acquisition of efficient machinery, construction of dairy-related infrastructure, improvement of the distribution process, competitive pricing, staying informed and updated about the dairy buffalo industry, and continually learning applicable modern dairy farming skills.

As a result, nothing is impossible with the consistent and dependable support of the local government of Porac, led by Municipal Mayor Jaime V. Capil and Vice Mayor Francis Laurence C. Tamayo, as well as the consistent support and guidance of DA-PCC at CLSU.

Rabbi said their efforts are in honor of their parents, Rey and Josefina Manlapaz.