Carabao - The National Symbol of Philippines

Many countries throughout the world uses animals to represent their nation. Each has a reason why they choose that as their symbol. In United States of America they have the Bald Eagle, in England they have the Lion and in China they have the Chinese Dragon. These animals are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of their country.

In Philippines, we have our faithful Carabao! It symbolizes, strength, power, efficiency, perseverance and most of all, hardwork. It was declared by Philippine president Emilio Aguinaldo as a national symbol due to its aid in the First Philippine Revolution.

These swamp-type domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) have been the companion of Filipino people since then. Filipinos see carabaos or kalabaw as faithful partners in life and treated them the same as dogs. The “beast of burden”, as the Filipinos loved to call a carabao, is in fact the “Filipino’s best friend” and regard the animal as thier own family.

This little girl is more concern in the carabao than his uncle

Carabaos are very powerful, docile and easy to train. They aided our farmers to plow the field, an alternative to tractor, never complain and always at the mercy of its master. It is also a source of transportation, although slow but it can carry heavy things.

Carabaos are generally docile animals, but they can be deadly when push to anger. They had also played a great part in shaping our country's history. Ambeth Ocampo's Looking Back carries a story about these animals helping the Filipino revolution against Americans.

In April 1899, General Lawton's men were shooting at Filipino troops when a herd of carabaos attacked the Americans! American forces could not understand or explain why the carabaos did not attack the Filipinos...This was not an isolated case, since another carabao attack occured in Meycauayan. Major Putnam Bradlee Strong, who served in General MacArthur's staff, related that a herd of carabaos run straight into their battery, ruined their battle formations, broke the leg of one soldier and gored a handful of men! What was surprising was thst after the rampage the carabaos become tame once more.

Indeed carabaos are faithful companion and it really defines the strenght, perseverance, power and hardworking of Filipino people!

Mabuhay Fellow Pinoy in steemit!

---

References
Looking Back by Ambeth Ocampo
1

Image Source
1
2
3
4