Tabuk’s famed ‘white carabao’ gets new home
>> Tuesday, June 4, 2019
By
Jesse Maguiya
TABUK
CITY, Kalinga — After six years of missing, the “carabao” that had served as
landmark of this rice producing city, was finally given back prominence at the
intersection near St. Williams Academy, standing tall as a reminder of Tabuk
and Kalinga province’s rich farming industry.
“The statues are very delicate and the transfer needed
utmost care,” said engineer Jude Dakiwag of the provincial engineering office,
who was assigned to oversee the transfer of the statues, which for over five
decades served as landmark, telling travellers that they have reached Tabuk.
In 1958, the statue
was erected in the middle of the intersection that either leads to Barangay
Dagupan in Tabuk City, Tuguegarao in Cagayan and to the other towns in the
province. In 2013 however, the Dept. of Public Works and Highways transferred
the statue at the side of the police station in Bulanao because it supposedly
posed danger to motorists.
The statue’s removal six years ago led to a court case. But
this year, the court decided against the move of DPWH.
The tedious process of moving the carabao statue and the
“farmer” that stands beside it started past 7 p.m. on May 22 until dawn the
next day.
A lifter crane was
used to carefully carry the statues one after the other to avoid breakage. The
statues now stand side by side on its rightful place for everyone to see, to
again constantly remind the people of Kalinga on the importance of rice farming
in the city.
The statues were
erected using funds raised during the Miss Kalinga popularity pageant in 1958.
The carabao and the farmer statues were chosen as a
representation of Kalinga’s farming glory that still holds true until now.
“When you say white carabao, everybody knows where it is.
As there was no cellphone before, people would meet up at
the white carabao to avoid getting lost and be able to meet each other,” said a
resident. Kalinga is identified as Cordillera’s rice granary. On three
occasions, Kalinga was awarded the “Gawad Saka” for its rice production
performance. — PNA
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